Do you think marriage as a sacrament is loosing its value in Modern India? (Answer in 150 words)

Traditionally, marriage in Indian ethos is regarded as a sacrament (samskara) consecrated through rituals like saptapadi, signifying an indissoluble, divine union rather than a dissoluble civil contract. In modern India, this sacramental character is undergoing significant shifts.

Erosion of Sacramental Rigidity: Legal reforms, including the Hindu Marriage Act 1955 (introducing divorce provisions), the Special Marriage Act 1954, judicial recognition of live-in relationships and Shilpa Sailesh (2023), allowing the Supreme Court to dissolve irretrievably broken marriages under Article 142, have infused contractual elements into marriage. Societal transformations—such as women’s increasing economic independence, delayed marriages, rising divorce rates, and inter-caste or inter-faith unions—have prioritized individual autonomy over sacramental fatalism.

Enduring Sanctity: However, the sacramental foundation remains resilient. Over 90% of Indian marriages remain arranged, traditional religious ceremonies continue across classes, and the judiciary repeatedly reinforces marital sanctity, as observed in the Sarla Mudgal (1995) judgment prohibiting the circumvention of monogamy, and in Dolly Rani v Manish Kumar Chanchal (2024), where the Court held that a Hindu marriage is a samskara requiring valid ceremonies, not mere registration.

Thus, marriage is not losing its sacramental value, but undergoing institutional adaptation—evolving from a rigid patriarchal bond into an egalitarian union balancing sacred tradition with individual rights.