The practice of dowry has long been a dark stain on Indian society. Despite being illegal since 1961, it’s still deeply entrenched in many communities. From gold, cars, and cash to entire properties, the demands are as bizarre as they are outrageous. It’s a societal evil that often leaves families of brides burdened, sometimes for life.
A recent post on X highlights this outdated custom. A user shared how a friend from Bihar, an IIT/IIM graduate, got married last week. The twist? The groom received a Toyota Fortuner and Rs 1.1 crore in cash as a “gift”.
A friend from Bihar (IIT/IIM grad) got married last week. Today we got to know that he got a Fortuner + ₹1.1 cr cash as a “gift”. Coming from Jammu, this just opened a completely new social dimension for me about marriages in Bihar lol.
— Kairos Issar (@chadxsharma) December 3, 2024
The bride, on the other hand, is an architect. This revelation shocked the user, who hails from Jammu, and opened their eyes to the alarming dowry norms in Bihar.
She’s an architect. And the girl’s side is bit more influential, tho both are from the same caste.
— Kairos Issar (@chadxsharma) December 5, 2024
What’s even more surprising are the comments on the post. Many users pointed out that this amount is “nothing” compared to dowries exchanged in South Indian states. Apparently, some families in those regions offer gold measured in kilograms and assets worth crores to secure a match.
Have a look:
If you have Telugu / Tamil / Kannada friends from the land owning castes, do ask them how much they got.
You won’t sleep for a week afterwards.— No Smo King (@kartik73) December 4, 2024
In Bihar, it’s not uncommon to come across individuals who possess substantial assets, such as 1 crore in cash, a Toyota Fortuner, a 2BHK flat, and 150 grams of gold jewelry. Ironically, my husband’s only acquisition in our marriage has been a quarrelsome wife – myself.
— Noor Faraz Fatmi (@Noorfarazfatmi) December 4, 2024
A JE (military engineering) colleague is getting 50 lac cash, 11 tola gold, a car, a furnished flat etc.
from Karnataka
— Pawan Mishra (@lazyprofx) December 4, 2024
Long back, my Bihari bro called me at almost midnight to say tht he has arranged a proposal for me. Daughter of a Judge. I simply denied (I was into the 3-4th peg of whisky).
His exact words were “Tere wazan ko sone se taul dega. Utha le”
— Agent Smith (@Agent_Smith_IND) December 4, 2024
Itne qualifications ke hisab se to kam mila minimum 5cr lena tha
— Snorlax (@redranger1731) December 4, 2024
upsc peeps get upwards of 3cr in bihar lol
— sanskar (@achhiaulaad) December 4, 2024
Wait till you see Kerala weddings and the amount of Gold involved there.
Trust me this is nothing in front of Kerala weddings.
— Akshay ? (@akshayji10) December 5, 2024
Deep down we all know that these are not gifts. These are the standards set by the society and most of the times, it’s the groom’s side that ‘demands’ these ‘gifts’ and cash, of course. A sad reality!
— Pragya (@yeaitspragyyaaa) December 5, 2024
South Indians in the comments :
“Oh this is nothing, wait till you see a wedding in Kerela”
“Bro south indians give more than ten times of this”
“You haven’t seen south indian weddings”Seems like “dowry” is something south Indias are really proud of.
— Rashi Pandey (@rashi__pandey_) December 5, 2024
This is not new. And yes if someone one from andhara and US return.. gets weighed in gold
— consistent @discipline (@Barda41002389) December 5, 2024
The fact that dowry still persists, even among educated individuals, speaks volumes about how deeply ingrained these regressive traditions are.