The story so far: In a recent ruling, the Supreme Court observed that a Hindu marriage is a ‘samskara’ or sacrament and must be “performed with ceremonies in the proper form” to be recognised under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 (HMA).
A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Augustine George Masih underscored that the registration of a Hindu marriage only facilitates proof of the marriage but does not provide it legitimacy unless rites and ceremonies envisaged under Section 7 of the HMA such as the saptapadi (the rite where a couple walks around a fire seven times) are complied with.
