The Kundali/Jataka and the Quarter Life Crisis

The title says it all eh?

Actually, this thing had me thinking for quite sometime last night when I had just finished creating my blogspot/space/etc.

So here I go.

I've been wondering about this logic of matching Kundalis/Jatakas a.k.a Horoscopes for the "not so fluent with my own Indian tongue" audience. I had the pleasure ( er?! ) of going through this entire episode of horoscopes in the build up towards my brother's marriage some years ago.

It works very simply.

1) The prospective groom's horoscope is laid out, charting a lot of his future years.

2) The prospective bride's horoscope is laid out, charting a lot of her future years.

3) A score is accumulated citing the common points between the bride and the groom, i.e. if there are 32 points of contention, and if the matching thingy comes upto 10 points on 32, the score is 10/32. And it's stopped right there.

4) Why is it stopped? Because the score is not more than 50% ( correct me if I am wrong ).

5) If it's more than 50%, the parents meet, the prospective bride and the groom meet, and then we see time taking it's own toll.

Now, the bone of contention is this:

1) How many of us really CARE?

2) Does it matter to the current generation?

3) Does it matter to you that your folks might be intent on something like this before fixing you up for life?

(Oh, PS: This applies to traditional Hindu families only, the others can read it for their own joy.)

The answer: Well, I guess it's mostly tending towards a "I don't care" after having taken a census amongst individuals I know.

Now - this applies strongly in arranged marriage situations because your parents are the ones conducting all the processes. What would you do if you fell in love with someone? Would you satisfy your parents by charting the Jatakas/Kundalis/Horoscopes out before actually falling in love? Or adhere to the strict norms of religion and sect and sub sect and sub sub sects? :P

That might just never work out. The point being, at this phase in life, you are almost at the end of the first Quarter. You are looking to be career oriented, you are looking to see if you can have some "fun" AND there are a lot of us, who may not admit to it , but who are LOOKING to find a prospective (permanent) match on their own.

How does it start?

1) Peer Pressure. " Wow, my pal has a hot chick for a girlfriend man, what the heck am I gonna do? What if my folks fix me up with someone who I wouldn't really like at first glance?"

OR
"Wow, my pal has a hot chick for a girlfriend man, what the heck am I gonna do? I need someone to have fun with!!"

2) Relatives. This takes the cake.

Relative : Yenri? Chennagidira? Nim huduga yen maadthidane ivaaga?

( Allo Saaar! Ow are you? Ow's your baaay? )

Parent : Parvaagilla kanri, Engineering mugsi yeradu varsha aithu, kelsa maadthidaane, America-gu hogbittu bandaithu.

( Oh, he's alright Sir. Been a couple of years since he finished his Engineering and started work, has already gone to the US and come back )

Relative : Oho, parvaagilve.. Yaavaga maduve .. namma Kamalu ganda idaanalla? Avana chikkappan bhamaidana magalu vobbalu iddaale, nodbahudu.

( Oho, vary good saar! When it is the marryage? You know our Kamalu's husband-a? His small unkal's brother-in-law's daughter is there, we can all see )

Ah, the nosy relative who pokes his/her nose around to get people married. :)

JESUS CHRIST!!! Why are you even BOTHERED!!? And poor Kamalu doesn't even know.

So, there are 3 things:

1) Either stick to the norms, let your folks do the stuff for you.

2) Do not stick to the norms, let things happen as they will, keep looking and you will end up finding someone at the cost of incurring the wrath of your parents :D

3) Stick to the norms, (I am not advocating horoscopes, mind you) find someone yourself, and everyone is happy. And if this actually works out like a peach, it would be very surprising and the chaps involved would be very lucky. World Peace.

You decide.