LIVE IN RELATIONSHIPS IN INDIA

Many people are not aware of the fact that live in relationships in India have been prevalent since
ancient times. This concept has originated from India itself. Ancient India was a place of flourishing
science and technology and liberal arts, scriptures and artistic disciplines going hand in hand with
religion. We were open minded, inclusive along with accepting of various practices and preferences
unlike the rigid structure we witness in present day India.

In ancient India this live in relationship terminology was referred as maitri-karar also as Gandharva
marriage. There is a huge difference between the two which will be cleared as we discuss both of
them further. Maitri karar was a written agreement agreed upon by two opposite sex which claimed
that they would look after each other and live together. On the other hand, Gandharva marriage
referred to a mutual agreement between two members of opposite sex to live together without any
ritual or religious process or family intervention. An example of this marriage is that of Dushyanta
and Shakuntala.

However, as times changed and eras came to end, our thinking minds vanished so did our values and
beliefs and roots. This paved the way for Britishers and Mughals i.e., imposition and integration of
their ideologies in India. As we can see the way present India is orthodox in a way similar to that of
Britishers with little women empowerment and close minded, rigid culture along with narrow
education system with little room for change. These led to various changes in acceptance,
judgement and views regarding live-in relationships.

The pros and cons of will be based on the analysis of the changes and its affect on the society in
present day India. We will look at the advantages of live-in relationships. Firstly, it leads to
appropriate and fundamental division in terms of expenses with both the partners being responsible
and accountable for themselves towards each other and society. This helps in building
understanding of how one should live and can live with others harmoniously.

Second advantage is that it leads to forming a base of groundwork for future relationship. As in
Indian marriages it is not only the people who get married involved but also their families, it is
important for the partners to have a solid base which would ensure a stable and long-term healthy
relationship.

Third advantage is that physical intimacy, social stratification, religious norms and emotional bond
alone are not enough for building of a healthy and strong relationships. It takes more than all this
and is more complicated than most people think. This stage aids in testing of such challenges that
will add and get more complex as they take next step into their relationship.

Lastly, it helps in attaining maturity which is rare and crucial in any type of relationship. Maturity
ensures that the partners are aware of their decisions, its consequences and its implication of each
other. Whether they are able to solve challenges, deal with situations is also a part of maturity.
Maturity is also important as the next step is a serious and holy bond in India i.e., marriage.

The cons of live in relationship according to me is of two types – first social and cultural attitude and
second reasons for such relationship. The first and foremost con is the negative and narrow-minded,
discouraging attitude held towards live in relationships in present day India. The second is more
focused on the people who are engaged in such relationship rather than the onlookers. It focuses on
the reason or logic behind such relationship. This is more important as it determines whether how
much the societal pressure impact the partners. For example, if two people are in a live in
relationship for physical intimacy, financial gains they might not be able to handle the ostracization
or discrimination from society and separate as there is no real bond or commitment towards each
other.

Live in relationships is an intricate topic which like any other relationship has its own pros and cons
and judgement but in the end it all comes down to the people involved.