Time to do away with Kanya Danam?

Why just Kanya Danam? Let us do away with marriage itself. Why should the woman be bound to a man her entire life? She should be free to choose whom she wants to live with. Marriage should not be a binding factor for this.

Also, we should do away with Mangala Sutram. Why should the man tie a thread around a woman's neck? May be women should start tying it around a man's neck. What say Mr. Lakshman Rao?

The practice of kanyadanam should be done away with. It is particularly revolting to see the bride being carried in a basket like a commodity to the mandap by the relatives. These are obsolete practices of the child marriage era. But, is it not tragic that even the well qualified, educated and foreign working grooms and their families still indulge in these practices. If anything, i find that marriages have become even more traditional than earlier. Reforms are urgently needed.

I agree with Lakshman Rao's view or advocation to do away with Kanya Danam. However, he should remember one thing: with new Women's Bill being passed in Parliament, I wouldn't be surprised if we will have soon a new tradition called "Purusha(boy)Danam".

Nowadays both the boy and girl are selecting their own life partners. Parents of the girl are performing the marriage. Rituals have lost their significance. The entire marriage function can be simplified with reduced expenditure. The saved money can be utilised by the newly married couple. The guests should be limited to close relatives only not exceeding hundred.

This is a wonderful topic. Sati was abolished because it was too much for the girls/women. But if Kanydanam is abolished means the parents will start feeling that they are not responsible for the girl's responsibilites.
If anybody wants really the welfare of the girls/women give them equal rights in property. We should not touch the rituals which are good. We should abolish which hurts the humanity.

Kanyadaan and Sati have nothing in common. Sati was not a common practice at all. The dharma shastras are full of prescriptions on how widows should live. The practice came into vogue after invasions by Muslim rulers.
As regards Kanyadaan, it gives an upper hand to the girl's father. He is the giver. The son-in-law and his family are receivers of a precious gift who will help in increasing the clan of in-laws. It is not correct to comment on some rituals of the marriage without understanding the whole philosophy of Hindu marriage with gods invoked as witnessees.