Love on the Web

Love, marriage on the web (Getty Images)

Finding love just got easier. We surf through niche marriage portals that have hit the Internet.

Getting into wedlock is sheer magic, they say. Finding a soulmate who loves you for who you are and shares similar interests is bliss unparalleled. And, if you have just embarked on the journey to find your partner, here’s good news. Meeting someone similar to you has become that much easier, as niche online marriage portals make their presence felt in cyber space.

Such websites are quite a hit among those looking for love, as they cater to the specific needs of a person. In fact, there are even sites for transsexuals and eunuchs, the HIV-positives and the overweight. Says Satya Naresh, the founder of one such specialised website, “My site helps those who don’t believe in dowry to find like-minded partners. It also breaks traditional mindsets and the practice that can place an excruciating financial strain on families.”

Aditya Mishra, member of an online marriage portal, feels spoilt for choice. “As an increasing number of people get online, communities that are personalised and specific have become the need of the hour. This helps netizens find their target group with ease and prevents them from wasting time on completely incompatible profiles. Earlier, people used to select their life partners on the basis of age, caste, religion and language but now they prefer sites that are job, locality and idea-specific.”

Sushmitha N, a marriage consultant, says it all boils down to basic human psychology. She points out, “Even on social networking sites, people tend to look for friends in communities or forums that they are part of.”

However, there are some who are sceptical about these websites. Suganthi N, a PR professional, feels that the number of responses reduces in such cases. “Narrowing down to such specific categories is not a great idea because it creates an illusion of certainty and dependability,” she says, “What if you find someone on a website that caters only to IT professionals and the person changes his job after marriage? This will affect both parties.”

Echoing her belief is real estate agent Ganesh Kumar, who found the love of his life through a general matrimony website. “Niche sites mislead. When I posted my profile on a general marriage portal, I clearly mentioned my criteria and found the woman of my dreams. Restricting oneself to niche sites will reduce the chances of finding a suitable partner.”

While these niche matrimony sites may have been designed keeping in mind the proverb, ‘birds of a feather flock together’, Ganesh counters, “Why join a forum because you want to find someone just like you? Any kind of partnership is fun only when one is able to play perfect foil to the other. After all, opposites do attract!”