Swayamvar

A Suitable Boy right out of Vikram Seth's novel is looking for you . . . .

Where’re you?

Would-be bride eh? Hmm. She'd look like Princess Niloufer or Penelope Cruz or Rachel Weisz or Keira Knightley or Danica McKellar! Remember Winnie Cooper? LOL Just kidding! I’ll give you some keywords: She’d be well-read, liberal, intelligent and pretty. (No brain-dead beauty, please!) Type B personality! Shouldn’t be tomboyish! Talkative. Great mind-set. Humor. And, of course TALL and SLIM! This isn't a prerequisite but it'd be splendid if she: speaks impeccable, chaste Urdu; loves Urdu poetry; and is an American from Lucknow! That’s all for now.

"Swayamvara (Sanskrit: स्‍वयं‍वर), in ancient India, was a practice of choosing a life partner, among a list of suitors by a girl of marriageable age. Swayam in Sanskrit means Self and Vara means choosing or wanting.

In this practice, the girl's father decides to conduct the Swayamvara of the daughter at an auspicious time and venue, and broadcasts the news of this to the outside world. Kings, typically used to send messengers to outside lands whereas commoners arranged to spread the news within the local community.

On the appointed day and venue, a list of suitors arrive at the girl's home and ask for her hand. The girl and her family get to choose among the suitors, sometimes through evaluating the completion of various tasks assigned. When the girl identifies the husband of her choice, she garlands him and a marriage ceremony is held immediately."