Inter-religion marriage is a union between two individuals belonging to different religions. In India, inter-religion marriage can be performed under the Special Marriage Act of 1954 or the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955. Marriages among different castes or religions are considered a sin in India. Similar to other nations, this is considered to be insensitive. To maintain the rigid rules of power operating in this country, citizens must get married in their families, clans, or religious beliefs.
Furthermore, for a marriage to be legally recognized and registered, certain customs and rituals specific to the particular religion and caste must be adhered to. To protect the rights of those who are against the social norms and choose to marry outside of their religion or caste in the first place, it was the Special Marriage Act of 1954 was enacted. This law provides a special marriage ceremony for Indian citizens India and Indian citizens who live outside of India, regardless of their religion or caste.
The people who attend are willing to go the extra mile to ensure that their families’ marriages are celebrated to the fullest extent. When planning the event and enjoying the festivities, It is also important to have the marriage legally registered in our country. This will result in an official marriage certificate, which couples must complete all joint ventures, for example, buying property or obtaining a spouse’s visa to travel abroad.
To allow marriages between different religions and castes where neither of the parties had to abandon their faith to marry the other in marriage, it was decided to establish the Special Marriage Act was established. While they are still a part of their religion, the couple can still be registered.
The law applies to marriages among Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists. It applies to all Indian and every Indian resident in India or elsewhere except for Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu & Kashmir. There is a normal marriage procedure regardless of the religion you follow instead of a particular marriage court for couples from different religions.
The procedure for inter-religion marriage is as follows:
Giving Notice:
The couple needs to give notice of their intention to marry at the office of the local marriage registrar where one of the parties has resided for at least 30 days before the notice is given. The notice must be given in the prescribed form and should include details such as the bride’s and groom’s name, age, occupation, marital status, and religion.
Publication of Notice:
The notice of the intended marriage is then published by the marriage registrar in the office for 30 days to allow any objections to be raised. If no objections are raised during this period, the marriage registrar issues a certificate of no objection.
Marriage Registration:
After the expiry of 30 days from the notice’s publication date, the couple can register their marriage in the presence of three witnesses, the marriage registrar, and the solemnizing officer. The solemnizing officer can be a marriage registrar or a person authorized by the government to solemnize marriages.
Documents Required:
The following documents are required for inter-religion marriage:
- Application form for marriage registration
- Proof of age and address of both the bride and the groom
- Passport-size photographs of both the bride and the groom
- Marriage invitation card (if any)
- Affidavit of the bride and groom stating the place and date of marriage, marital status, and nationality
- Certificate of marriage issued by the religious institution where the marriage occurred (if any).
Post Marriage Registration:
After the marriage is registered, a marriage certificate is issued to the couple. The marriage certificate is an important legal document and can be used for various purposes, such as obtaining passports, visas, and other legal documents.
The Special Marriage Act outlines the following stages for registering and getting married:
- You must submit a written application to the district marriage registrar where either party has resided for 30 days.
- Before considering any opposition to the intended couple’s marriage, the marriage officiant gives the couple a 30-day notice.
- If there are no objections, the marriage officer must maintain a marriage notice book with all the details of the intended union. If there are no objections, the marriage may be solemnized after 30 days after the notification was placed at the marriage commissioner’s office.
- The couple and three witnesses must acknowledge the marriage officer’s entry of all relevant information in the marriage notice book.
- What Happens in The Event Of A Marital Objection
- The marriage officiant can investigate the validity of the objection;
- The marriage officiant can investigate the validity of the objection.
- Conditions For Solemnising The Marriage
Here are a few conditions that are applicable by the law to solemnize a marriage under the Special Marriage Act in India:
- The parties must also consent to the marriage before the registrar and three witnesses to be deemed valid.
- The bride must be at least 18 years old, and the groom must be at least 21 when they get married. According to Indian law, a boy or girl must be at this age to get married.
- Both parties must be faithful at the moment of marriage, meaning they must be single and without a spouse still alive.
- The parties must not be connected or fall into a category of banned relationships for them to be allowed to decide for themselves whether they wish to get married.
- If so, there would be a reason to dissolve the marriage. Nevertheless, a marriage under a banned relationship may still be solemnized if one of the partners’ customs permits it.
In conclusion, inter-religion marriage can be performed under the Special Marriage Act 1954, or the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955. The procedure for inter-religion marriage involves giving notice, publication of the notice, marriage registration, and submission of required documents. It is essential to note that the requirements for documents may vary slightly depending on the state in which the marriage is being registered, and it is advisable to check with the local authorities before applying.
