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HINDU MARRIAGES

Section 5: Conditions for a Hindu marriage

The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955

A marriage may be solemnized between any two Hindus, if the following conditions are fulfilled, namely:—

(i) neither party has a spouse living at the time of the marriage;

1[(ii) at the time of the marriage, neither party—

(a) is incapable of giving a valid consent to it in consequence of unsoundness of mind; or

(b) though capable of giving a valid consent, has been suffering from mental disorder of such a kind or to such an extent as to be unfit for marriage and the procreation of children; or

(c) has been subject to recurrent attacks of insanity 2***;]

(iii) the bridegroom has completed the age of 3 [twenty-one years] and the bride, the age of 4[eighteen years] at the time of the marriage;

(iv) the parties are not within the degrees of prohibited relationship unless the custom or usage governing each of them permits of a marriage between the two;

(v) the parties are not sapindas of each other, unless the custom or usage governing each of them permits of a marriage between the two;

5* * * * * *

Footnotes in the official text

  1. 1.Subs. by Act 68 of 1976, s. 2, for cl. (ii) (w.e.f. 27-5-1976).
  2. 2.The words “or epilepsy” omitted by Act 39 of 1999, s. 2 (w.e.f. 29-12-1999).
  3. 3.Subs. by Act 2 of 1978, s. 6 and Sch. for “elighteen years” (w.e.f. 1-10-1978).
  4. 4.Subs. by s. 6 and Sch., ibid., for “fifteen years” (w.e.f. 1-10-1978).
  5. 5.Clause (vi) omitted by s. 6 and Sch., ibid. (w.e.f. 1-10-1978).

Questions on this section

2 questions in 5 of our papers cite Section 5. Try these from the free papers:

  1. 1. Under Section 5(iii) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, at the time of the marriage the bridegroom and the bride must have completed the ages of:

Practise questions on Hindu Law