Is money the key to a happy marriage?

Do women go for one’s looks or bank balance? is an age old question that still remains unanswered. But studies show that demand and supply equations inform gender equations as well.

IS IT true that looks matter when it comes to love? A study provides hard evidence to the suggestions that the fairer sex is attracted not to a man’s looks, but to his status, power and wealth.

According to a research conducted in 1909, when men are in short supply due to events such as wars, women are willing to settle for poorer partners of lesser social sway. However, when male population increases, women tend to turn fussy and go for the richest and most powerful men. This in turn, ‘radically reduces’ the marriage prospects of poor-off men.

As quoted by Dr Thomas Pollet, department of evolutionary psychology, University of Liverpool, “We show that if men are abundant, this will influence the market value of their desired traits, that is, women can demand more. This aspect, namely individual decision making as a function of the mating market (local abundance or scarcity), has been relatively neglected within the literature on human mate choice.”

According to the Pollet, when the sex ratio is equivalent, married men are inclined to have a little higher socio-economic status than unmarried men. “As the sex ratio augments, married men are expected to need up two or three times the socio-economic status of unmarried men,” he said.

Frank Pedersen of the University of Delaware confirmed the study in 1991, which concluded that sex percentage has a big impact on the marriage market.

“Thus, much about the varying culture of male and female behaviour across populations and across time could in slandered be clarified with orientation to the sex ratio,” said Pollet.

The question of whether looks matter when it comes to love is age old and still remains unanswered. But these studies has clearly recognised the more limited fact that sex ratio fluctuations in human beings can put one sex in the driving seat.

Money is the key for a happy marriage

Even if you aren’t good looking, chances are bright that you will settle down to wedded bliss if you have a substantial bank account.

IT IS true that love has nothing to do with money but is it true looks matter when it comes on love? A study has been done that provides hard facts to the suggestions that the fairer sex is wan not to a man’s looks, but to his status, power and wealth.

According to historical data from 1909 of more than 30,000 men’s are in short supplies due to events such as wars; women are willing to settle for poorer partners of lesser social sway. However, when men are in profusion, women tend to turn fussy, driving a haggle for the richest and most powerful men. This in turn, has the marriage prospects of poor-off male ‘radically reduced’.

As quoted by Thomas Pollet, “We show that if men are abundant, this will influence the market value of their desired traits, that is, women can demand more. This aspect, namely individual decision making as a function of the mating market (local abundance or scarcity), has been relatively neglected within the literature on human mate choice.”

According to the answers, when the sex ratio is equivalent, married men be inclined to have a little higher socio-economic status than unmarried. “As the sex ratio augments, married men are expected to need up two or three times the socioeconomic status of unmarried men,” he said.

The study gets confirmed on 1991 forecasted by Frank Pedersen of the University of Delaware that the sex percentage has a big impact on the marriage market.

“Thus, much about the varying culture of male and female behaviour across populations and across time could in slandered be clarified with orientation to the sex ratio.” said Pollet.

These questions are mature for future study, but our studies has clearly recognised the more limited fact that sex ratio fluctuations in current humans can put one sex in the driving seat and allow them to drive a hard haggle.

Do looks matter?

How important is it to look good? Do looks really matter to you? Would you choose your partner based on whether or not he/she has an A+ in the looks department?

“I PREFER a girl, who is sexy and hot and looks the best when she is walking with me,” says Kunal, a 22-year-old student. A question comes to mind - why do guys or girls want someone more attractive than themselves? Do looks matter?

According to the study conducted by Columbia University researchers, people rather date those who are fairly more attractive than they are. The research was done by analysing two data sets on an online rendezvous site called HOTorNOT.com. One set of data held members who had dating requests and the other included the magnetism ratings of other members.

The result of the study shows that as compared to women, males were more influenced by how physically attractive their dates were, but did not recognise how attractive they were for themselves, when making a decision on whom to date.

Do you think judging people by their looks is what matters for long and happy relationships? A short survey was conducted by Merinews network at Metropolitan mall, Gurgaon. “I am dark and my wife is fair. That doesn’t mean I love her more than she does, or she wanted someone better looking than what she is. We had a love marriage and we are very happy together. Looks don’t matter,” says Ramesh, sales executive.

It is true that people get attracted to beauty but there is a saying, ‘beauty lies in the eyes of beholder,’ so what you see may not be beautiful but what you can’t may be the most beautiful thing you would ever see. “I don’t judge beauty from its physically status, beauty is what is within the person,” says Varun, a 23-year-old employee, sharing his view towards beauty.

After the survey, we came to the conclusion that, when people are speaking fervently and are in an imaginative ‘zone’ or a state of well being, they appear to be more beautiful and lively, possibly even glowing. It makes sense that individuals who are the most creative, flexible, and lively should be the most striking to others.

The truth is, it’s the physical attraction, which draws people into relationships, but it often results in sexual union and this is the reason that attracts a person to the opposite sex.

No matter how good you look, there will always be someone better looking. It’s your nature, your individuality, your habits and your character, which means more than your face.

What makes you the special person is you yourself. Good looks can only take you so far but good nature is what counts more. A man may be extremely handsome, but if he doesn’t have good habits, and if he doesn’t know how to make a woman feel special, he is not going to keep you or anyone happy, and the same goes for women. All that really matter is the attitude, nature and the personality of a person.

The truth is, beauty would not last forever, but attitude will, so all men and women need to understand the inner beauty before they go for the physical beauty.

What is marriage all about?

"Aum bhoor bhuwah swaha, tat sat vitur varenyam bhargo devasya dheemahi dhiyo yo nah prachodayat"- Mantra of starting a new relationship, mantra of marriage, mantra of making a couple into one person.

MARRIAGE MEANS compromises, both bride and the groom have to compromise and mend fences to get to the centre and become well matched, unless they have somehow been lucky enough to fit together perfectly. A person may never remain the same after marriage, there is always a change and most of it is due to a compromise.Both bride and the groom have to compromise and give and take for the marriage to work, if they both want everything on an equal basis, then it ends up in fights and arguments.

A question often comes to our mind - what makes a marriage strong? Is it the understanding and compromises or is it the wedding vows, where each phera has a meaning and each step takes two individuals and ties them into one.

When we talk about wedding, every caste has its own way of organising and using their own religious rituals, which start by greetings of the bridegroom, bride, family and friends. The wedding starts with -

Kanya Agaman (Arrival of the Bride): The bridesmaids and the father escort the bride to the mandap (nuptial canopy).

Jai Mala (Exchange of Garlands): The priest guides the couple to the mandap (nuptial canopy). Bride welcomes the groom with a floral garland and groom garlands the bride. This exchange symbolises formal acceptance and respect.

Prarthna Mantra (Prayer): Chanting of the great Gayatri mantra to invoke the blessings of the supreme lord.

Madhupak (Offerings): Bride offers the mixture of honey and yoghurt to the groom. Honey symbolises the sweetness of eternal love and yoghurt for the sake of his eternal good health and nutrition.

Aachaman (Purification): Sipping the water three times for the purification of the heart and body.

Agni Pradipan: Kindling of sacred fire. The wedding is made solemn before Agni (fire), the symbol of knowledge, power, and purity, as a principle witness to the ceremony.

Kanya Daan (Giving the hand of the bride): The prime wealth of a Hindu household is the daughter (Kanya), who symbolises the Hindu Goddess of Wealth (Lakshmi). Bride’s parents then place her hands into the groom’s and pour holy water over them to finalise the gesture of gift giving (transfer of wealth). Bride’s father requests groom to accept his daughter as an equal partner in all walks of life. It is noted in Vedic scriptures that there is no “Daana” (gift) greater than kanya daan (giving a daughters hand in marriage). Groom promises to accept bride as his equal life partner.

Jaya Home (Offerings): Offerings to the sacred fire emphasise the couples’ joint responsibility in maintaining the love and dignity of their union.

Paani Graham (Accepting the Hand): The bridegroom holds the hand of the bride and both of them solemnly pledge before God that they have become one and will forever love each other and remain mutually devoted for the remainder of their lives.

Pledges (Exchange of vows): The priest reads the solemn union declaration. The bride and bridegroom exchange the holy marriage vows.

Mangal Phere: Bride’s brother puts rice in the hands of the bride and groom to offer to Agni (the Lord of Fire) who dispels darkness and ignorance while leading into light and knowledge. The couple then walks around the sacred fire. Each round represents the four basic goals of human life: Dharma: Moral sense to lead a good life, Artha: Financial prosperity, Kama: Blessing for strong, virtuous children and to share the responsibilities of home, Moksha: Self-restraint and eternal physical, mental and spiritual strength. Together, the four goals symbolise the couple’s commitment to each other, the community and the cosmos. During the first three rounds, bride leads the groom and during the last round groom leads.

Shila Rohan: A rock is placed in the Northeast corner of the mandap. While the bride places her right foot on a piece of rock, groom recites a hymn - the Ashma Bhava. The statement is to encourage his wife to be as strong as the rock and to be firm towards any difficulties of life they may face together. Rice and flowers are sprinkled on the couple by her parents, relatives and friends.

Saptapadi (Seven steps): The bride and groom take seven steps forward together, symbolising the beginning of their journey through life. These steps signify the guiding principles of life.

Each of these steps represents the vows made by the couple:

First step - together we will love, cherish and respect one another from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness or in health ... forever.

Second step - together we will create a home full of joy and laughter, where we find serenity and strength.

Third step - together we will share a steadily deepening love, which grows in understanding and unselfishness.

Fourth step - together we will embrace each other’s family as well as our own yet to come.

Fifth step - let us have a measure of patience and forgive with grace.

Sixth step - together we will develop a sense of value that we may care for people more than possessions, for honour more than wealth, and for the dimensions of a home more than the details of a house.

Seventh step - let us forever be best friends and partners, and share each other’s ideas and ideals. The couple is now united and will pray for the blessings from God. The father-in-law offers the bride a sacred necklace.

Sindhoor Daan: The bridegroom puts sindhoor (Red Powder) in the parting of the bride’s hair and welcomes her into his life as his eternal partner. The newly wedded couple touches the feet and takes blessings from the parents of both families.

Akhand Subhagyavati: Married women from the bride’s family come forth to wish her eternal happiness.

Aashirvaad: All guests and relatives recite a hymn with the priest to wish the couple good luck, prosperity and a long, happy married life together.

Shanti Path: Hymn of peace, which ends the special day with blessing from god and loved ones.
This is the actual step of our Hindu wedding rituals, which leads a couple to the journey of new life.

Valentine's Day: A special day to say you care

The magic of Valentine's Day gives you lot more reason to be happy, as this day symbolises the love between you and your loved one by showering her/him with chocolates, flowers, cards and lots of kisses.

FEBRUARY 14 is Valentine’s Day and it is celebrated as a lovers’ day, with the giving of chocolates, flowers, other gifts and even a heart-pounding poem between couples in love across the world. Do you know the history behind it?

Valentine’s Day is named after St Valentine. But who is this inexplicable saint and why do we celebrate this day?

The history of Valentine’s Day is masked as a mystery. But we do know that February is known as the month of love. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become linked with this prehistoric rite? Today, it is recognised that different saints named either Valentine or Valentinus were martyred for this cause. Legend contends that Valentine was a cleric and was a great propagator of love during the third century in Rome.

During this period, Emperor Claudius II claimed that single men made better soldiers than those who had wives and families and banned marriage for young men from his crop of budding soldiers. Valentine was the one, who realised the injustice of the ruling, defied Claudius and started performing marriages in secret for young men in love.

When Valentine’s secret was discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Valentine sacrificed himself for love, and so this day is celebrated as lover’s day.

According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first ‘valentine’ salutation to himself. But it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl when he was in penitentiary. The young girl was supposed to be the daughter of his jailor’s, who use to visit him during his imprisonment. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which was signed by him saying, ‘from your Valentine’, an expression that is still in use in this generation.

Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasise his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and most importantly, a romantic figure. It’s no surprise that by the middle ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France and recognised all over the world. But today’s generation has changed the meaning of this magical day.

This generation has its own meaning of love and believes in materialistic things for illustrating its love. This generation has turned this special day into a theme party, expensive gifts, flowers and chocolates. But the actual meaning of Valentine’s Day has been lost somewhere. It is the young generation, which has changed the meaning.

After a short survey, we found that there are many youngsters as well as the young at heart who have planned a great Valentine’s Day.

Varun, 23, a student dedicating a loving message for his loved one before surprising her with a party, says, “If a day had 36 hours I would spend 12 picking you flowers, if we had 48, life would surely be great, and if it were 72? I’d climb a mountain just to tell the world I love you, but...all we have is 24, which means I’ll keep the message short, and simply spend every precious hour with you, today and forever.”

Where as Sharlinder, 63, a businessman dedicating a loving message for his loved one before taking her out for a small dinner, says, “Love is a symbol of eternity. It wipes out all sense of time, destroying all memory of a beginning and all fear of an end.” The meaning of both messages resembles ‘love’ but the generation gap shows in both the messages with its words and the planning.

The survey doesn’t end here. Many approvals and disapprovals have also come out of it. Some grown ups say Valentine’s Day has nothing to do with poems or chocolates, as the history of mid-winter celebration of love is named after St Valentine, who died a horrible martyr’s death centuries ago.

But some say, this day is meant for celebration in respect of the sacrifice, which St Valentine had made for love. No matter who thinks what about this special day, for many years, Valentine’s Day has been celebrated as the day for lovers.

This day is for celebrating love, the most beautiful feeling in the world. Lucky are those who are loved and cared for. So why not celebrate this special day with your loved ones and show them what they mean to you by expressing your feelings to them. So have a great and an enjoyable Valentine’s Day.

Chocolates may cause bone cancer

We have vegetarians and non-vegetarians, egg-eaters and egg-haters, but one thing that is loved, craved as well as munched by everybody is a bar of luscious chocolate! But a recent study has developed that eating chocolates may cause bone cancer.


CHOCOLATE IS the universal language of friendship and love. It is the only word that surpasses all the barriers of age. When it comes to chocolates, age is no bar to have a ‘bar’! From a child to an elderly person, all like it. I am a chocolate freak, and I have seen many people who are no less then me. And what’s more, choco-a-la-carte, known as chocolate at present, is also a source of keeping you passionate and relaxed, depending on person to person.

But researchers have found out that chocolate may not be so great for your bones. According to the health specialist, a good diet is very important for the growth of a person, for the prevention of osteoporosis and fractures. Chocolates are very rich in falconoid. Studies have recommended that it’s not good for the bones. However, they also hold excess of oxalate, which could block the absorption of calcium and sugar that can boost calcium excretion.



In an investigation upon chocolate’s effect on the bones, Australian researchers examined 1,001 women aged 70-85 years, who were participating in a study of calcium supplementation and fracture risk. Bone mass and energy were calculated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA scan), computed tomography (CT scan) and quantitative ultrasonography. Next, frequency of chocolate ingestion was evaluated through a survey and classified into three categories: more than once a week, 1–6 times a week and once a day.


After the research, it was found that the aged women who consumed chocolates daily had a three per cent lower bone density than those having it less than once a week, as well as had weaker bones in the heel and tibia, or shin bone, on an average.


Women, who consumed chocolate every day weighed less and, compared to the average women, had a lower body mass index (ratio of height to weight).Regular chocolate eaters consumed the same amount of fresh fruit and vegetables as those who ate chocolate less often. And they had no more saturated fats, sugar or carbohydrates with less protein, starch, fibre and potassium.Chocolate eating habits made them consume more calories and had a higher socio-economic status. The rapport between heavy chocolate consumption and lower bone density remained the same after acknowledging the above factors. The effect may be connected with a module of chocolate you consume, rather than a connected lifestyle or dietary factor.

The regular chocolate consumption may increase the menace of osteoporosis and fractures, thus affirming further research to back up or refute the relationship.