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Does Skin Color Really Matter in Indian Marriages?

Hello everyone!

Hope you’re having a lovely Sunday. I have a question for you all now. Do you think skin color really matter in Indian marriages? I am receiving these kind of queries in my mail box from my readers and I am really surprised. How come a person choose their life partner with the ‘skin tone’ quality? If character or even health matters, that is completely normal; but how come the skin tone?

       Have you seen matrimonial ads on new papers and internet? Most of the families want ‘fair’ brides and grooms. Don’t you find it funny? But this is a very serious issue to be discussed. This make youngsters in India, especially girls depressed who are in marital age. Not only women, men too experience these kinda hurdles in India when it comes to arranged marriages. This ‘skin tone’ partiality happens mainly in South Indian arranged marriages. I am no elder to talk about marriages and all but ‘this’ query from one of my readers affected my mind and made me do this post. Check her query below.

 

Query by Richa

Hi dear,
I am born wheatish in color and it is creating problem for my wedding. No one is ready to choose me as their life partner as I am not fair. I am an all rounder and I top every where whether it is studies or extra curricular activites but my dark skin complexion is a big issue. Please help me! Can I get fair? Is their any possibility?

 

So what can I respond to this query? If you had asked me to lighten your complexion by your own wish, I would have considered suggesting you a few natural remedies and products.. But in this case, its a BIG No from me! I really cannot give you ideas to become pale.

I have one question for you sister. Why should you marry a guy from a family who care about your ‘skin tone’ but not your talent or nature? Doesn’t it sound odd for you? Do you think you will have a happy life with your partner if you change your born skin color? I really find this absurd.

You said that you are an all rounder; good at studies and etc but why you become so submissive when it comes to this kind of Indian traditional rules?
A person’s skin tone is decided by genes and birth. Being pale doesn’t mean that you’re a beauty queen and being dark or wheatish doesn’t mean that you are ugly. Being healthy and confident is the ‘real beauty’ in my view. Fair or dark, you are beautiful if you have a beautiful mind and healthy physique.. and not to forget a happy smiling face all the time. I have seen hundreds of dark and beautiful people including top celebrities. First understand that your skin tone is not a factor that measures your beauty. I kindly request you NOT to undergo any skin lightening treatments or something to whiten your skin for this marriage purpose. Marriage is a beautiful bond between two loving humans and their families.

Eat health foods, have fresh juices and tender coconut everyday. Have good sleep. Take care of your skin and don’t forget your sunscreen. These are enough to improve your skin texture and beauty!

Bleaching your skin can make it lighter but surely not beautiful. I won’t ask you to be satisfied with your skin tone; but be PROUD! This is your own skin tone gifted by your lovely parents. Being a south Indian, I have a dusky dark complexion and I completely love it! If I get a wish from god to change me ‘pale’ I would scream NO! Because that is not the color I love; My parents are dusky and I feel beautiful being dusky! I agree that I love my skin to be brighter, healthier and radiant but I do not long for a paler skin tone.
I hear about people getting their skin tanned to achieve that skin tone like yours. Then why should you change? If you feel that you want to shed on some pounds or gain some weight to look perfect, go to a  fitness center and find a personal trainer. Spend your days enjoying at spas and relax your mind and body. Shape your eyebrows, get a herbal facial done. Grow, shape and buff your nails.. Get a stylish hair cut done. Wear clothes in which you feel beautiful! Hang out with your friends. Be confident and happy. If you want to brighten your skin tone naturally, go through this blog for few natural home remedies to improve your skin tone. I am sure you will get an understanding life partner who will love you and accept you for whom you are; who love you for your character and talents. All the best sister! I am sure you will have a happy, joyful life.

I feel really sad when I find many other countries better in terms of marriage, when compared to our India. I agree that these practices are slowing fading away, but still it hasn’t been completely abolished. Only if you don’t support these silly cultures, our country will develop. We shouldn’t follow the wrong path knowingly as that will be a bad example for others. As much as I love Indian culture and traditions, there are few things I hate about it to core :( To abolish these kind of practices such as choosing brides seeing skin color, dowry system and etc in India, we youngsters should STOP following it! Will you?

I apologize if I have expressed something wrong in this post; I did not mean to hurt anyone.

What are your thoughts on it? Kindly share below!

12 thoughts on “Does Skin Color Really Matter in Indian Marriages?”

  1. Skin color used to be something important in marriages but i personally feel that nowadays ppl r not THAT into skin color at all.. In fact lots of guys & girls prefer duskier ppl than fair ones now. Appearance & personal grooming matters but color “nope”.! My advise to Richa would be to,
    1. Feel proud of yourself. Feel beautiful.. There are ppl who spend money to get that glowing dusky skin of yours.
    2. Take care of your health and be fit. Not for your prospective grooms but for yourself.
    3. Don’t fret too much about a groom. If he cannot accept your skin color then he is not worthy enough for you.
    4. Never use any skin lightening products that are available in the market. Infact never attempt to lighten your skin naturally either. Accept your skin color and enhance it by taking care of your skin and using the right make up.
    5. Priyanka Chopra, Bipasha, Chitrangada are all dusky.! How many men swoon over them? Can u imagine them being fair skinned? Dusky skin is beautiful. Embrace it.

  2. richa yu should stop feeling this way, color doesn’t choose ur destiny or life-partner, marriage is about something more than race, caste etc…also internal beauty matters… just some creams and treatment cant decide ur entire life… just wait fr it.. have hope :) things will change :) yu will be osm one day :)dont lose hope, hope is everything :)

  3. oh… waht an artice. nicely written..

    and as for Richa…. feel happy that such color minded idiots are not into ur way..

  4. Addicted to Nailpaints

    I am dusky and would be married soon. I am in a realtionship which my relatives don’t know, they are worried cuz I belong to a community where color matters, they want fair brides for their sons… In our country this has been an issue and will be forever.. UNTIL we have this concept of ARRANGED marriages which has to be read as BUSINESS, trading fair beautiful girl for some well settled guy… Marriages here mean flaunting the bride’s beauty or in other words exhibiting the trade.. We have a custom called Muh Dikhai, where women of the family see the bride for thr first time, you should listen to the comments, she has big nose, long chin etc etc.. Sorry for venting out so much Lancy..

    Now for Richa,

    Gal, you know yourself better.. If I was a guy I would never leave such a talented girl for a petty issue called Skin color.. Don’t ever get disappointed, it just means THEY DON’T DESERVE YOU.. Be proud, keep your head up, you don’t have to feel disappointed for some racial person’s comments..

    In that way, we are the most racist people, we brand name every ethnic group based on color and appearance, don’t we??

  5. Hi, I’m dark skinned too. My parents have been looking for a groom from quite sometime. I’m facing the same issue. Its very evident that arranged marriages are all about beauty and other material aspects. I’m against arranged marriages and totally convinced by all the things said in the previous comments.
    I’m a working woman, quite social, confident, enthusiastic and doing professionally well. I’m 26 now and have never been in a relationship. This is not because i don’t socialize nor that i have a loud personality. I have a lot of friends and people generally like my company. The only reason i could figure out as to why i could never get into a relationship is because i’m dark skinned.
    I’m neither able to fit myself into an arranged marriage nor in a love marriage. Its like a dead lock for me.
    To believe that there are men who are not racists and have their priorities set right is really difficult for me at this point.

    1. Well said,i am brown skin.people used to call me black African monkey,and guys in my school don’t like my color,but when i started looking good all of them wants to be my friend.so i think dark skin is beautiful cause the darker our skin is the more we are being protected from a lot of diseases.

  6. all i’m trying to say is that skin colour plays a vital role even in love marriages. Atleast for indian men opting for a love marriage is giving himself a wider choice. Its nothing beyond that..

  7. I have fair complexion with gorgeous looks and I married a guy who is dusky with normal looks .In my opinion what really matters is not color but healthy body with healthy mind.Personally I prefer some one not with looks.Ours is arranged marriage and I fell in love with that person by looking his confidence and brain.

  8. Hi friends, Recently I also engaged with a girl who is wheatish and have not told to give me any dowry. Just I have seen her family and her talent and agreed to marry her.

  9. Really am happy that girls like u started looking urself in a new way. Am so proud of u lancy to write this blog and my hearty thanks that u look into these problems seriously. We women always thinks about what others care about our complexion and outer looks. But no one thinks proud of themselves. But I won blame them entirely. Its there surroundings, relations, friends, colleague’s, etc. First of all stop worrying about others. Feel good about urself. Be proud. Then every one ll change ter thoughts abt us. So Richard be happy and select ur partner wisely.

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