16 Indian Dating Culture – Customs and Relationships

India is one of the countries in Asia with strong culture and customs. These two things applied in every layer of Indian society’s life and determined how to behave every time. This was also applied when Indians are dating. 

Typical Indian Dating Culture

There are some rules and customs you have to obey while you are dating. Indian have a very old and conservative rule that is still alive to this day. The younger generation has also made some changes to their dating customs. Here is what dating in India is all about!

1. Their culture is slightly changed

Before we talked further about the dating customs in India, you need to know that Indian dating culture nowadays has changed a bit. Parental involvement has decreased due to the modernization. However, India is a country with a strong culture and custom so their dating rules didn’t change radically.

2. Parents no longer setting up a meeting for you

Why do Indian parents hate dating? Because they love matchmaking. In the past, two parents would meet and arrange a date for their children. You would meet and talk for a few times and then get married. Indian parents nowadays give freedom to their children to date and seek their own partner.

3. But arranged married is still common

While parents already give permission to their children to meet and date anyone they like, arranged marriages still exist up to this day. This is called contemporary dating style. 

They allowed their children, but they also have the right to arrange their children’s marriage with someone they’d like. But if the parents approved of their children’s boyfriend or girlfriend, they would not arrange marriage for them.

4. Mingled with the peers to find partners

In the U.S. dating culture, a boy would pick up the girl at her house then take her for a date. But in Indian dating culture, teens would hang out with their peers, consist of boys and girls, then through the group they would know someone and might have interest towards them.

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5. Single life is easier for men than women

In India, being single is very uncomfortable. Singles can not participate in any religious ceremonies because according to their culture it was unholy. Thus, being single in India means you have to get ready to receive any criticism from the society. Single life in India is easier for men than for women. Men receive less judgement and criticism.

Single women in India would become the talk of the town, with others assuming that there might be something wrong with her; that she’s not sociable, and can’t compromise with others. Furthermore they would be judged as having continuous financial problems.

6. Some couples choose secrecy, according to the society they live in

In some regions in India, dating is still an uncommon thing. Couples who date prefer to keep their relationships secret. The levels of secrecy depend on how strict and conservative dating is in their local culture. 

In a region like Madhya Pradesh or Tamil, couples keep their dating relationship a total secret due to the fear of moral police. While in a more modern place such as Delhi, people tend to be more open about their dating relationship. 

However, they keep some things on their own such as whether they already have sex. They usually open up to close friends with the similar liberated thought. 

7. Although legally decided, cohabitation is still a taboo

In 2010, it was legally decided by three judges that there is nothing wrong with a man and a woman without a marriage bond living together. However this is still very uncommon in suburban areas. 

Their customs said cohabitation was a taboo, and the rules were rooted deeply in their heart. On the contrary, this thing is becoming more and more common in the big cities.

8. Indian culture are not welcome with homosexual

India had laws against homosexual, with the Delhi High Court even ordered decriminalization for gays. Any homosexual relationship worth 10 years jail punishment and homosexual marriage are still illegal up to this. Most gays in India would go to Nepal to register their legal marriage.

Indian society still denies the existence of gays within their communities. If you asked them about it they would likely reply “There’s no gay in India”. In some cases, homosexuals in India receive big hatred and death threats. They also disowned by their family due to the shame of having gay in family.

9. Parents involvement are still high

Although parents no longer set up a meeting for their children , they still arrange a marriage for them in Indian dating culture. This is why parents’ involvement is still high. As long as the children have not married yet, their parents are still responsible to them. The parents’ purpose of arranging a marriage for their children is they want to make sure their kids are having a good life ahead.

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10. No excessive public display of affection

Is it OK to kiss before marriage in India? Just like in another Asian country, excessive PDAs are not allowed in India. This is not something that is legally forbidden, but this is what their elders taught them, and passed down for generations. 

You have to keep your relationship low profiled in front of the public. When you are still dating, holding hands and a light hug is accepted, but a peck on the cheek or even kissing is forbidden.

11. The hook-ups culture

This is something that happens only in big cities in India, where a one night hook-ups or some short flings with no commitment and feelings involve becoming more and more of a lifestyle. 

While youngsters find it sexy and challenging, this certainly gives elders heart attacks. This culture is becoming popular because Indian, especially women, find this less burdensome for them. To be having a temporary relationship that wouldn’t get in their future.

13. The use of social media

Modernization and technology are surely part of Indian society today. Urban Indian, who are more modern than the rural ones, make the most of social media use for dating. In India, there are so many dating sites you can find. Finding partners through dating sites is now also a lifestyle in modern India.

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14. The “etiquette” of high-end dating

Is dating illegal in India? Even if you find your partners through dating sites or social media, there are some etiquette and customs that you have to follow. Indian are still Indian, with their conservative values rooted deep in society. 

While trying to find partners through dating sites or social media, you should:

• Not send any relationship request before you and he or she have decided to start dating.
• Do not humiliate yourself by posting flirty pictures or drunken pictures of you. It will surely make you less attractive
• When you see them change their status to “busy”, don’t be too curious or ask them why they change it. Give them some space if they are really busy.
• Do not post any shout out on location mapping apps, saying that you know he or she was in some certain place. It’s like you are spying on them, right?
• Do not try to get close to all of her peers on social media. Once again, gives off the feeling that you are spying on them

15. Family matters the most

Regardless of how much old Indian dating culture and customs has slightly changed by the modernization, some of their old values can’t be easily removed just like that. This one, for example. 

Whether you go through arranged marriage, love marriage, or just dating passionately, you must win the heart of your partner’s family. Indian families value genuine, polite people, and the ones who are willing to accommodate their family rules, values, and customs. You have to do all kinds of things to win their heart and make your way to enter the family a lot easier.

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16. In the end, marriage is an important thing

Although dating customs and etiquette in India has changed in some ways, all Indian share the same thought that marriage is an important, sacred thing. Indian families valued marriage as sacred ceremonies, and that someone who got married is entering another level in their lives. 

According to Indian culture, marriage men and women have to be highly involved in all sorts of traditional ceremonies where singles couldn’t. Marriage is viewed as a lifetime contract, where family matters from both sides are important. 

Basic qualities of a marriage in India are union of the family, family togetherness, family happiness, and family sharing the same goals. Personal goals are put in as secondary needs.

Dating rules and customs in India are definitely different than in other Asian countries. Although similar in some ways, India has their own culture to decide and distinguish their marriage, courtship, and dating rules. The older and younger generation may have different views about Indian dating culture, but in the end they still hold their culture tight. After reading all this, aren’t you curious to date and Indian boys or girls?

Disclaimer: we apologize if there is any misunderstanding or mistaken sentence about this information. Love all.