How often do you come to the market to buy a regular set of food or household items? Probably so often that you can't count how often it happens. But just imagine that one day you come to the market, not for milk, eggs, tomatoes, and greens... but to buy a husband there? Of course, you will say that this is crazy and does not happen, especially in this day and age of modern technology, but it is really true. In India, some women come to the market in order to buy a husband as well as food products.

In the Indian state of Bihar, there has been a bride fair for more than seven centuries, where women and their families come in search of a worthy husband. It was founded by Raja Hari Singh of the Carnatic dynastу, who decided to make it easier for women to find a husband. The market lasts 9 days and is called Saurat Mela or Sabhagachhi. 

You can ask a completely logical question - how many potential gentlemen agree to this type of dating? And you will be very surprised to learn that there are a lot of people willing to put up their candidacy for sale! Every year, thousands of men, many of whom come here from hundreds of kilometers away, line up under the trees at the local market in the Madhubani district, while women shoppers, accompanied by their relatives, walk the rows in search of a worthy candidate.

So how does buying a marriage partner work in India? The price of a potential husband depends on several factors: his education, status, marital status (presence of children, financially dependent relatives, etc.), as well as health problems. First, women and relatives look at the cheapest options, inspect them and ask for proof such as birth certificates and school certificates. In the case of a positive verdict, the discussion of the details of the future agreement begins.

But such a market has its own laws. For example, engineers, doctors, and civil servants are in the greatest demand at the fair. Preference is given to those who are younger and in good health. So older men have to try their luck next year, suddenly some women will be interested in them.

All things considered, the brides themselves hardly have a say in the choice of the groom. The final say is left to their relatives, who ultimately choose the bachelor, which strikes a nice balance between accessibility and an amazing resume.

At the same time, many men agree to sell themselves in the market, often for useful purposes. As you know, dowry is officially prohibited in India and one of the main goals of creating such a bride fair was to eliminate this stage between dating and marriage when young bachelors demanded a significant dowry from the bride's family. Despite the ban, some men still demand it from the market.

However, in India, you can buy not only grooms but you can also choose your future wife in another market.