Factors Contributing to the Quality of Marital Relationships A Comparative Study Between Indian and Non-Resident Indian Couples

INTRODUCTION Marriage can be defined in a myriad fashion but to be precise, it is a concept with an ever-changing nature because people evolve perpetually. Primarily, people enter the bond of marriage for companionship and happiness because majority of them tend to attain highest satisfaction in life from this intimate relationship. As marriage can bring about positive or negative changes in the way how one perceives themselves, their partners and others, it is perhaps considered as an important milestone in an individual’s life. With this concept being perceived, practiced and approached diversely around the world, people tend to handle romantic relationships weirdly in the same corresponding manner regardless of a wedlock because it is not only the union of two souls but an essential foundation for the existence of oneself and that with the others. Especially in India, marriage is considered as a once in a life time event whose importance can be understood from the numerous ancient rituals performed or traditions being followed during the ceremony. Regardless of the diversity in India, parents and relatives of the concerned adults are found to devote utmost time and efforts to plan and arrange a marital alliance, right from match making to the couple’s life after marriage as arranged marriage are widely preferred among them. Lately though not favoured by many, love marriages are on the rise due to modernization and urbanization. In the meantime, regardless of arranged or love marriage a new craze has begun to set in among the Indians where getting married to a non-resident Indian or relocating to a foreign country after marriage is taken as a symbol of status in many parts of India.