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Shrikant trivedi: India is a country of festival, where people enjoy every moment of life. We also enjoy marriages like a big festival and because of it we spend much money on marriages.

With passage of time many changes have taken place in our social system and some social evils came with this like -dowry, status competition etc. In India where about 22 million people are living below the poverty line and people do not get two square meals a day, I think big expenditures on marriages are not justified. Middle class is a representative class of the population of our nation, which cannot spend huge amounts on marriages and if they do spend then they suffer many other problems, like- borrowing money which can also affect our society and nation. Hence marriages should be simple and affordable.

Akriti Anand: According to me marriages should be made simple. As we all are aware that India's basic population is middle class and marriages with pomp and show are just a dream for them. Middle class people are not so efficient that they can afford but they still do it. Marriages done with so many embellishments actually are a waste of money. People try to show their status but they don't think that in these middle class is facing trouble.

Money, which is spent on this, can be used for other works like development of the country. To some extent dowry can be checked, suicides, murders can also be controlled. I think that money used in this can give one-day food to many hungry people.

Adhinath: As of now marriage has become the main source of expenditure, but there should be some limitation for expenditure. A person only for status spends out of capability in marriages. It should be kept in mind the society always follows the trend & unlimited expenditure is a wrong trend, so we should remove this trend from our society.

On the one hand in India there are a large number of people living below poverty line & on the other the multimillionaire spend money like water in marriages. Recently there were marriages of celebrities which are examples of heavy expenditure marriages.

Due to this trend middle class people are badly affected and they have to face many problems including dowry demands of people with whom they are making relations.

If marriages Are made simple and affordable then the extra money could be used for the future of wedded couple.

Rinku Sharma: Marriages should be made simple because I think instead of spending the money for the sake of fashion and style the money can be saved for the bride and their future children. Too much spending on marriages is futile because after the marriage is over things are forgotten. Also, what happens is that if a family spends too much in marriage then it is expected from the other members of the society also. But, it is not possible for every individual to afford big spending in marriages.

Deepika Saxena: Yes, marriages should be simple and affordable. As youngsters it's our moral duty to support this thought and try to follow it. Now-a-days marriages have become just a showoff. It's a waste of money too. India is a developing country and there are many problems like education, food, shelter, poverty to take care of. So the basic need of today is to save money. Organising a grand marriage, it is in the culture of higher society & unfortunately our middle class families also wants to maintain it. "Sheep follows sheep " it is not a right way. It also enhances the dowry problem. Many of girls who belong to a middle class family always suffer because of this useless tradition. But we have to follow it. Reason is only that we all are the part of this society. I am in favour of marriages performed by "gayatri padhati". It is simple and affordable too. Invest money in right way is also essential for all. Doesn't matter that we belong with which class. From the past time "simple living, high thinking "we Indians do believe in it but at present it is just opposite of it. Parents should use this money in saving for the future of newly married couple.

Malyachal Mishra:'Marriages should be simple & affordable' definitely it is a very big question for Indian society, where marriage is a very difficult, long & costly process. In marriage we have to follow all customs & cultures and for this we have to spend a lot of money. In our society different types of people live.

On the one hand politicians, stars, players & industrialists can afford these expenses but on other middle & poor people who have no bread for even two-time, they can't bear these expenses. In spite of these expenses they have to give big dowry otherwise marriage would be cancelled. Because of this problem many girls remain unmarried.

Here we should think that how we can solve this problem. First we must put efforts to ban dowry & should try to make it simple & short. We should promote the court & temple marriages. Government & some NGOs should come forward for upliftment of poor families.

Sanju Kumari: Marriage is perhaps the most vital of all the decisions and has the most far-reaching effects, for it has to do not only with immediate happiness, but also with eternal joys. Marriage depends upon economic potential of the family. Generally cultural & traditional expenses are beyond the budget of the middle class. For carrying the tradition people throw lavish party or reception. It looks unnecessary to celebrate marriage as has been done till date. But in this celebration, now one absurdity has occurred. People want to show their muscle, money & power to get their marriage ceremony declared the best in the world. This yields to a huge wastage of money.

Better economic conditions do not mean that only rich people can have a stable marriage. The people should spend only what they can afford. The key is to keep the expenses within limits for both partners.

Everyday, people are targeted with advertisements for new cars, better gadgets, and idyllic vacations. There are promises of no payment for a number of months. The human beings are psyched up to buy the things that are not needed and vacation that they cannot afford. After few weeks of bliss, the reality dawns when the payments have to be made and there is hardly any money available for essential needs. At this point in time the blame game starts. The need is created. All of these small things add up. A large segment of population cannot afford all of these modern inventions. The inevitable result is the strain on all relationships.

I disapprove this kind of move made by the rich & middle-class family. If they keep control on their expenditure on these occasions, save money & use it in helping the weaker sections of the society the whole nation will be rich.

Dr Balak Ram Kashyap: Marriage is both a biological need and a social requirement. Although customs and ceremonies vary but practically all sections of human society rich or poor, high or low have marriage. Apart from keeping an order in society marriage also helps a man or a woman to be his/her normal self.

But these days much wasteful expenditure is done on thoughtless ceremonies and pomp and show. Besides huge sums of money and costly items like car, houses, gold and jewellery etc are demanded in dowry.

Many a time even when the other party is not in a position to bear the burden the demand for dowry has to be accepted under compulsion. Also when the demand is not fulfilled the bride is harassed and ill-treated so much so that sometimes the hapless victim is forced to end her life. It is therefore desirable that stringent legislation should be brought about to abolish dowry in order to make the marriage simple and inexpensive.

Social groups and communities advocating simple marriage should be encouraged. There are a few social groups like Nirankaris where marriages are organized in satsangs (religious congregations) devoid of any show/exhibition of jewellery or wasteful expenditure. It will still be better if the Government can fix some upper limit of expenditure which should not be exceeded by the parties. Personal qualities of the prospective couple should be the only consideration in marriages. People in general, specially in the countryside should be encouraged to follow such simple marriages.

Sushmita Shrivastava: There is no doubt that the marriages should be made simple and affordable. Under Hindu System of Law, marriage was a sacrament, it was a permanent and indissoluble union and was meant for the performance of religious duties by men and women. It is one of the 48 Sanskaras recognized by the Hindu religion. Brahma form of solemnizing marriage was most popular. In Brahma form it is gift of the bride, who is bedecked and bejeweled with ornaments, is presented to a man learned in Vedas. It was a gift of bride, the presents and the jeweler were voluntarily given to the bride. In the beginning it was never in the form of coercion or binding.

After the independence the country has witnessed the evil of dowry in a more acute form, than it was witnessed before, and practiced in the whole of the country by almost all sections of the society. The giving and taking of Dowry has been considered the symbol of high prestige and rank of the rich people with their accounted and unaccounted wealth indulged in this practice and they perform marriage with great pomp and show. The middle class who cannot afford Dowry, rather who experience the pinch of the evil of this system while marrying of their daughters and who decry the existence of the evil in the society, do not feel ashamed of demanding Dowry when they have to marry off their own sons. The Dowry devil has eroded considerably the sanctity of marriage with the result it has now been reduced to business in which the bridegroom and his parents aim to make maximum quick money.

Syed Zia Ul Hasan Naqvi: Nowadays in general people are spending money so lavishly on pomp and show in marriages that our religious heads are unhappy with that they often excoriate high expenses in marriages and say its is arrant nonsense to spend money in this way on marriages. According to them marriage is a sacred bond for husband and wife so marriage should be simple and affordable, if the marriages will be expensive then it will be a great burden for those who are not in a position to bear the expenses. For expensive marriages the entire society is reprehensible.

We have made a simple thing very difficult with our own hands on account of competition with each other or false show of our status. In some cases bride parents are forced for expensive marriage by the bridegroom's parents.

For avoiding difficulties in our life we should neither surrender before the demands of bridegroom's parents nor should we go beyond our means.

Dr Suram Singh Verma: "Marriages should be made simple and affordable?" Marriage is a social necessity but has changed its face for the worst in last few decades only. There was a time (just about four decades back) when people were not so well off materialistically but they were very strong with ethics and social values. Girls were considered as a gift and grooms used to pay for marriages. Grooms were considered on the basis of family background and character.

Things have changed with time and marriages are made on give and take basis to grab the best groom available in the market irrespective of ethics and characters. Most suffered are the girls and consequences have led to female foeticides to an alarming level. This is all due to a mind set prevailing in the society about girls, their well being after marriages and the expenditure involved in marriages.

Society has to change their attitude about marriages which should be well supported, protected and encouraged by the government law and order legislations. People and government should encourage girl's education to make them self sufficient and confident enough to stand against any evil against them (girls) in the society. Girls as mothers, sisters and wives should take an oath to make marriage more respectable and an enjoyable event in someone's life. Cost of marriages in the society for people who can afford it is a show off business but people who can not afford it should not try to replicate things to make their life worst.

SS Chitwadgi: The answer is yes. Let me say that marriages are said to be made in heaven. Why one spends more than one can afford? Marriage ceremony is a social function allowing the people concerned to know that the spouses are exposed so that most should recognize man-woman relation after marriage is binding morally as husband and wife, and not any other ways. The sanctity of marriage performed in any religious and traditional ways is presumed to last long till death parts from one another. Simplicity and affordability are ensured on economic consideration. If expensive, it costs lifelong pressures to get back to economies. Sometimes a family which spends much, think that its status is enhanced. No. Similarly costly presents are given and it is enough if any token simple gift as a memory. This is most welcome. Food is wasted during marriages which is a crime. I think it is right if Govt. fixes number of guests in marriages. Only relevant are given food but not lavishly. Simple and affordable marriages should only be practised by law, in the interest of economy.

MR Nair: Marriages should be made simple and affordable. But who will take the initiative? Marriage is the most important event in one's life. Everybody wants to make the marriage ceremony a memorable one. Hence all pomp and show and glitterati are unavoidable. In an event like marriage of one's daughter (in many a caste in our country, it is the custom that the father of the bride pays even for the shoe of the groom) naturally the father has to spend whether he can afford it or not. This should have been discarded long ago.

Why should anyone still follow this age-old custom? Cannot we change these customs like we have adopted several new facts in our life in this modern age so that even the poor are not looked upon his daughter a burden? Just because of the dowry and the money one has to spend over the marriage of one's daughter, female fetus are destroyed and this is a blot in our society where we boast of well educated.

Whether educated or not, today's young men never bothers to fight against these evils because it is to their benefit. I think a person should not marry if he cannot afford a wife within his own income. Taking and giving dowry is punishable by law. But even the law enforcing agencies know they are helpless in this social evil.

Regarding simplicity in marriage, the simplest marriage ceremony prevailed in some parts of Kerala about 75 years ago when the head of the family (It used to be maternal uncle, not father) tell his nephew to go and present a Sari to a girl he points out. When this is done in the presence of the close relatives, the marriage ceremonuy is over! This was the custom prevailed among the Nairs. Is there any simpler marriage ceremony prevailed anywhere in the world? Of course, the custom has changed a little now among the Nairs. After the marriage is fixed on mutual consent, most of the marriages are held in Temples. There the priest tells the bride and groom to exchange rings, the groom ties the Mangal Sutra around the bride's neck, the bride and the groom are asked to exchange floral Malas. After that they go around the mandap three times. The marriage ceremony is over! The whole ceremony takes hardly five minutes.

Subhash C Agrawal: Welcome move of Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee to induce austerity in marriages by solemnising marriages in Gurudwaras only that too with one simple vegetarian meal should be an ideal for setting precedent for simple marriages in the country. Committee has rightly analysed that increasing expenses in marriages of girls is major cause of aborting female-foeticide.

In fact, Union Government should take measures to ensure marriages to be simple so that birth of girl may be taken as boon rather than bane. India should follow Pakistan by allowing only soft drinks and beverages in marriage-related functions. Political consensus should be developed so that elected representatives may be compelled to boycott mega-budgeted functions. Extra-rich persons should be encouraged to commemorate family-functions by setting up public-utility institutions like schools, colleges or hospitals rather than racing for mega-expenses in private functions. Such commemorative-institutions can be blessed and graced with benign presence of VVIPs and celebrities.

Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) should set up special celebration-cells in all IT circles where prior intimation of any function with budget exceeding Rs 10 laks may be made compulsory. Complete expense-details of all marriage-related or other functions with budgets exceeding Rs 10 lakhs should be compulsorily filed in these cells. Gifts and cash spent by relatives and friends should also be taken as part of marriage-expenses to avoid unaccounted spent-money as having spent by others!

RJ Khurana: There can be no two opinions about the view that marriages should be simple and affordable. Expensive marriages held with pomp and show under the sea, in the skies or in big hotels and with huge dowries may satisfy the bloated egos of the super rich but are bad examples for the rest of the people particularly the middle class and the poor people.

In the latter two categories they are bound to lead to financial bankruptcy of those solemnizing the marriage of their daughters/sons and be the beginning of difficult days ahead. The lure of dowry has made many a marriage hit the rock and shatter. Well-educated girls from good families and fine upbringing have not be able to get suitable matches for want of their parents' inability to conduct a gala marriage or meet the dowry demands of the greedy grooms/in laws. The emphasis should be on simple marriages.

It is a bond of love more than anything else. This will instill self-confidence both in the boys and the girls to succeed in life to stand on their feet. The joy and pride that one feels in building things in partnership with each other have no parallel elsewhere.

Dr Visal A Khan: An Indian marriage/wedding ceremony is not over in just a few hours but lasts for several joyful and colourful days, unmatched by any other society in the world. The Indian marriage is attended by a large number of people, the number may be as high as a million (in case of VIPs)! The number of cards may be as large as 2 million!! Even a poorest man borrows an ample money on the basis of mortgage, on sale his land and whatever holdings to celebrate daughter's marriage. The scriptures say: "A forehead without a Tilak, a woman without a husband, a Mantra without recitation, the head that does not bend before holy personages, a heart without mercy, a body devoid of health, a custom without purity,... - all these are worthy of condemnation. They exist for name's sake only." While the bridegroom applies it as a token on his hands, the bride applies it on her hands and feet making intricate patterns. Mehndi signifies the strength of love in a marriage. Geet and sangeet are said the soul of any Indian wedding. Ladies collectively take part in Geet/Sangeet for 4-5 days. Nowadays a programme for ladies Sangeet is kept in which all the relatives and friends are invited. On the Wedding and Reception days, professional singers and music parties, Orchestra parties are enagaged to entertain with popular Hindi film songs and Gajals.

It is estimated that 1.88 million marriages ceremonies in India waste money ranging as much as Rs. 2000 billion per annum.

Marraige should be made simple and should be affordable, so that it may give relief to the poorest. Joint marriage system in bunch of hundred to thousand number marriages at a time, is most preferable and should be encouraged by all societies, religions. Few organizations are working in this direction and I hope in future a day will come when these will reach to the highest and there shall no individual marriage ceremony unaffordable and if any it will take just a few hours but not lasts for several hours with an affordable budget.

RK Kutty: But, the million dollar question is who will take the bold initiative in this regard? It is often said that marriages are made in heaven. In reality, it is so. But that is in the case of only the rich, powerful and the affluent sections of the society. These are apart from the hefty dowry they hand over in cash, ornaments and other real estates. In my own State Kerala, the marriage bazaar is such hot that these days gold given is mostly above 100 or 150 tolas which when converted in metric weight comes to more than a Kg. The worst hit is the common people who cannot even dream of managing an ordinary wedding then what to speak of arranging such hefty dowry.

The present system of extravagant expenditure in marriages has no authenticity either spiritual or sociological precedence, but has evolved out of jealousy of one over the other when socio-economic transformation took place. About two-three decades ago, the worth of a white colored employee in marriage market was somewhere between 50000-1 lakh. In its place, the current worth is around a million in cash and kind. India, particularly its southern parts, is the biggest consumer of gold ornaments, to show up the real might of the wealthy class, while the less fortunate, under privileged are unable to compete in such ostentatious extravaganza. It is high time to standardize over-all expenses on Indian marriages, irrespective of any caste, creed, class or religion. In a way, it is an excellent opportunity for them to convert the black money into white. The problem is that even the Income Tax department, though are armed with enough sections to book them, yet fail to do so, because of their (violators) power and position.

Krishna Chander Mouli: Our vedic scriptures have adequate evidences that marriages in sanatan dharma era in the context of Bharat were always simple sacred performances and money did not have any role to play. Naturally such marriages were affordable too It is during the post-vedic era that the customary and traditional dowry and gifts from the girls side have belittled the sanctity of marriages and have become mere rituals,though with pomp and show.The modern nou-rich have further distorted the very spirit behind marriages by making them public functions and competing with each other in the vulgar display of affluence, and frittering away the ill-earned or borrowed money. Though Indian Christians and Indian muslims and even Indian Sikhs and other religious groups resorted to their age old traditions of simple marriage currently however they are also competing with their counterparts in holding gaudy,pompous and vulgar receptions after the so-called simple marriages for obvious reasons.

The Arya Samaj sect of vedic hindu tradition do advocate and perform simple marriages without any pomp and show but families opting for this simple tradition also indulge in post-marriage extravagance and lavish spending on receptions.

Marriages are long believed to have been held in heaven.We mortals only perform the earthly rites.Then why should there be so much of waste of money which could have been otherwise invested for a productive purpose. We should know that every penny spent on an unproductive activity adds to the country's inflation and economic slump.Marriages should therefore be made simple and affordable, if needed by enacting a law for the purpose fixing a maximum limit of expenditure for such marriages and even accounting for it..

Shreedevi Prasad: Expenses in marriages should be definitely curtailed. But, in my opinion it is a personal choice. Every man is aware of his pocket and his resources. It is own personal choice how to spend money. If we are extravagant then we may be left with no balance for the future whereas the rich do not have to look back about the expenditures made.

It is sheerly a people's status quo how a marriage is solemnised. In India marriages are great events. To make it a memorable event people tend to spend more and more thus making it look unique. Those who have more can practice it, those who have in limits may curtail it. If we are bothered about the Indian economy then we must go ahead set examples by arranging simple marriages in our own family itself. But that's a far away dream; it requires great amount of guts to stand different in the society to perform such actions.

MRG Pillai: In India there is a belief that marriages are made in heaven. Hence it should be made simple. But nowadays it is not so. Each and every family celebrates it with pomp and show. To curb the same the govt should make laws. Again in our society there is a tendency to break the laws enacted in a way by hook or by crook. Mass movement can bring an end to the false expenditure and a relief to the society by educating the subjects concerned of the evil aspect hidden in the lavish spending.

The basic reason for more pomp and show is due to imitation.

Middle class people are mostly jealous who cannot afford such huge expenses but have the desire to imitate the upper class. Finally after the marriage they lose property or chunk of their savings and realize late that the expenditure made on such occasions was sheer wastage.

Among the below poverty line, people come to an agreement that the work load will be shared between the couple.

Hence I prefer that marriage should be made simple and affordable.

RK Gupta: Unfortunately some bad undesirable rituals and customs have crept in almost all the communities which ultimately ruin the marriage and it culminates to dissolution.

A marriage has nothing to do with the unnecessary ostentatious expenditures pomp and show, processions, functions and decorations in the whole marriage ceremony. The unstranined flow of money, boundless ego, status consciousness, mega pride make the marriage ceremony inauspicious and hike the marriage expenditure manifold. The desire for gold, diamonds, costly cars and flats from the bride's father is a dowry which is punishable crime and should be mercilessly be discouraged in the society. Such mindset of certain greedy people mars the very essence of the marriage.

When the marriage is based on money, riches and prosperity without mutual respect, equality, honesty and morals, such a marriage cannot survive and is bound to break. In this mandate materialistic world wealth is supposed to be the very life and blood in present modern lifestyle.

Alas humankinds, the sons of Adam are still easily tempted by the devil's infallible weapon, the endless lust and infinite greed for the wealth.

Therefore only simple marriages should be solemnised.

are: First Dheeraj Khare , Second Rinku Sharma , Third Ani.