According to Tamhankar, Hindu culture is becoming more Americanized. “The flow of western culture is more and more prominent everyday in India, so that means that the traditional ways of marriage are less prominent,” she said.

Tamhankar said most arranged marriages were practiced to help financial issues. It would also connect families for political purposes. People would marry into higher families. Arranged marriages were thought to lessen the burden of children finding a compatible match.

“It was originally practiced, but it’s not required anymore. Things have really changed a lot. It has a lot to do with the atmosphere,” Tamhankar said.

Much of that change is in how families make the arrangements in the first place. Tamhankar said people advertise their information in newspapers and special magazines looking for marriage. They make a profile of their hobbies, likes, dislikes and other important information. The process is similar to that of online dating services such as match.com.

But for Tamhankar, that selection process is a problem. “I can’t pick someone to spend the rest of my life with through a magazine,” she said.

According to Vasudha Tamhankar, Ketki’s mother, the female’s family would meet with the male’s family around three or four times and, if there was a connection, they would get married.

“If two families have the same values and standards, the children will marry. It’s better that way,” Mrs. Tamhankar said.

Because interpersonal relations teacher Lila Torp has had several students who could potentially be involved with arranged marriages in her class, she said she partially knows how those individuals feel. “In my experience, some prefer having an arranged marriage to ‘having to find someone on their own.’ They trust their parents and loved ones to do what is best for them. Others would prefer to reject that custom, sometimes to the point of running away,” Torp said.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are multiple advantages in having an arranged marriage.

“I think seeking counsel from more experienced people who have wisdom about you, your personality and relationships just makes sense,” Torp said. “Perhaps if we took the time to seek the advice of our elders who know us best, we could avoid relationships that are destined to be fraught with difficulties.”

Mrs. Tamhankar had an arranged marriage. She said her parents worked their magic in picking her husband and her marriage is working out perfectly.

“Arranged marriages are a good thing. In India, families want their kids to get married so they talk to friends and relatives to know if their kids would be a good match,” Mrs. Tamhankar said.

Torp said that the conception of marriage in America can be deceptive because people think that if the marriage doesn’t work out, they can get a divorce.

“I do think that as a society, many could and should put more thought and take more time in selecting a mate. If that happened, perhaps we would not have the high divorce rate, or increasing number of people who choose to live together and/or have a family without getting married,” Torp said.

Even though it is Hindu custom and there are some advantages to it, Ketki said she is opposed to the thought of having parents arrange marriages. She said, “It’s a weird concept to have your parents pick who you’re going to spend the rest of your life with. I just don’t think it’s right.”