Even Ivy League alumni prefer online matchmakers

According to a recent survey conducted by a premium matrimonial portal, close to six per cent of its user base, boasted of members being the alumni of some of the most prestigious universities in the world, namely Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, Yale, MIT, Cornell, LSE and more. But that begs the question, why are even the crème-de-la-crème of the eligible going online to find themselves a spouse?

Sandhya Chandramouli, a Chennaiite, whose 33-year-old brother is employed in Goldman Sachs, and is based out of New Jersey, says, “My parents were keen on finding my brother a match, specifically from our own community, and from a similar economic background. Having moved to the US for his education, they assumed he might find himself a local and settle down there itself. However, as he had a traditional upbringing, he opted to get married to someone his parents chose. We realised we needed a filter of sorts as almost every match that came through in India, seemed to be driven by the idea of relocating to the US. So, we went online and opted for a premium service, so that we could find someone, as per our requirements, who wasn’t really getting married for a ticket to a better life.” When contacted, a wedding planner from the city said, cites other reasons as well.

 “It’s unfair to assume that an individual graduating from a top foreign university will be marriage material to start with. I have encountered many instances where either the boy or the girl exhibited traits bordering on social ineptitude or awkwardness. Many suitors are unable to get into the dating or courtship rituals that are so normal in the West. So, the best respite is to go online and find somebody, with matching traditional/ communal traits and attempt to connect with them.”