Your Pictures Matter More Than Your Profile

The photo is where all the action begins between receiving responses or no responses. Regardless, of how much time and effort you spend on writing, polishing your profile, a good online photo is worth thousand words. Good clear pictures are attention grabber’s. Some of you are not comfortable with online posting of pictures. It really does not matter in this time and age, as majority of you have profiles on facebook, Linkedin etc.

Matchmaking process is not supposed to be a top secret. The more people know about you greater your chances of finding the ideal match. If you are in the marriageable age or divorced, people in your circle are aware that you’ve not found your match, otherwise you would not be single. By posting faceless profile no one benefits. Most people will search profiles with photographs only. You show your face to the whole world, why shy away where it matters most. Use pictures to express yourself who you really are and what are your interests or the type of lifestyle you lead.

Here are some tips to help you get more responses:

1. Keep in mind proper lighting plays a great role in picture appeal.

2. Go to a professional studio or use a good camera.

3. Post photos which are clear and in focus.

4. Smile when you get your photo taken.

5. Post different photos full size, head shot

6. Wear attractive good clothes.

7. No group photos with friends or family.

8. Most important upload only recent photographs.

How to meet your match online

You can meet your potential life partner online. The most important thing is to have a realistic approach and to keep an open mind A vast online database is an easy way to meet that special person.

A profile should be a personal reflection of yourself, and how you would like to be perceived by others.

Guidelines for effective online profile:

An online personal profile has to be attention grabbing. It is your words and photos that will make a difference between people contacting you and getting no responses. Therefore, it is important to have an effective personal profile with recent pictures. It will make the matchmaking process enjoyable and worthwhile.

Be positive:

Your personal profile is your first impression to other people stay clear of negativity. Be positive about yourself.You do not want your potential life partner to get turned off by reading a negative profile.

Be precise and clear:

Clearly stating in precise manner about yourself. Your education, career, interests, hobbies details that makes you alive and interesting person. Remember, honesty is the best policy. Adding fluff to your profile will backfire. If you are not willing to put some effort into your profile how do you expect others to take you seriously.

Update your profile:

On regular basis keep updating your profile with relevant information. Initiate contact first, do not wait for responses from others. Common courtesy is important, if you are not interested in someone and receive messages from them inform them politely that you’re not interested. Do not put people on hold, move on to other profiles.

Post your best photos:

No matter how time you spend on polishing your profile a picture is worth thousand words. Avoid  photos with sunglasses or anything distracting from your physical appearance.

If you follow these simple steps you will make connections with quality singles and enjoy the personal matchmaking process. It will take you one step closer to your potential life partner. Once you meet the right person it will be a worthwhile experience.

HOW TO STAND OUT ONLINE AND IMPRESS?

HOW TO STAND OUT ONLINE AND IMPRESS?

When you have a profile on a matrimonial website, among thousands of other profile, you need to stand out. Your virtual representation is your photograph and the accompanying profile. Though you will upload the best photograph as images garner interest in people searching for a bride or groom, but does that suffice?

It is important to upload a perfect image to make the right impression as the photograph dictates more about you, enhancing your chance of getting the right responses. Thus, you should consider these key aspects when getting a photograph clicked: 1- Be natural: Don’t be stiff and formal. As your appearance matters a lot, it is important to look relaxed, calm and happy, for that is what it takes to make you a notch above the rest. It is best that you do not look nervous and ensure that you smile and look relaxed, as that adds to your attractiveness. 2- Take a few photos: Don’t just take one. Ensure that numerous photos are clicked in your different poses, moods and expressions. Now you can select one that looks the best in your matrimonial profile. 3- Color contrasts: Before selecting your dress for the photo session, choose as per your comfort levels, complexion and time of the day. For daytime photographs, bright colors go well and if you plan on clicking photos at night, select darker colors. Ensure that the background of the photos is contrasting to your dress color. 4-Professional head shot: Even though you may not be a professional photographer, but for your profile photograph, you need to ensure that the lighting is balanced, there isn't too much distance between you and the camera. If you are unsure of getting the perfect head shot, getting it clicked at a studio might not be a bad choice. Focus on your eyes and smile to get the best effects and stand out from the rest. When you have a good and attractive profile picture, you have a good chance of bagging better proposals and more attention.

Online Match Making works in Six Steps

If you are looking to find your life partner online and plan on posting your profile, think again. Will you put the required information to make your profile attractive? Will it invite response or just an unfocused photograph and one-liner represents you?

Most of the no-photos and one line profile information doesn't get you the response at online matchmaking because it does not garner interest. As your online profile is your virtual representation, make it interesting. Take a look at these steps to make online matchmaking work:

1- Write a good profile: 
Use grammatically correct language and make the profile concise. Your profile should have all of the needed information related to marriage- your academic qualifications, a few sentences about your family, professional background and interests. Additionally, here you’ll need to mention the qualities you are looking in your life partner.

2- Post photographs:
In the virtual world, photographs generate the highest interest and you’ll have more responses. But only post recent photos and ones you like best.

3- Communicate regularly:
Write personal emails, show interest in profiles you like, initiate conversations. It is important to login to your truerishte.com. profile regularly and respond to those who have shown interest.

4- Keep a realistic wish list:
Though you might be dreaming about many qualities in your beautiful bride/handsome groom, but it is best to be grounded and keep your expectations real. Look for qualities that match your own profile. Couples having similar hobbies and interests tend to bond better.

5- How to search:
You’ll need to find the right filters and search on the basis of age, family background, religion and other factors to get the best list of potential life partners.

6- Become a premium member:
By taking on a paid membership you have access to all of the listed profiles on truerishte.com. You can directly share personal contact details and chat online. This makes the process faster and more user-friendly.

Indian Culture

INDIAN CULTURE

India is one of the ancient countries comparing to any other country in the world, which is very rich in its own culture. India has got the big phenomena of unity in multifarious diversities and multifarious diversity has got a unity. This means that though the external appearance of the people varies on different cultural forms, the 'Indian' spirit remains the same through out the country. The first and foremost thing to talk about culture is the civilization observed from the Old Stone Age to the present age. When we say somebody is civilized, that civilization either based on his or her literature or on his or her type of life. Individual regionalistic culture is depicted by the literature. The type of literatures first comes in the Tamil literature, then, Telegu and Malayalam followed by Kannada. These are the foremost languages in which they have existed without the aid of any other language. The type of dress adorn by the people of different parts of this country are as much colourful and varied to compromise with the climatic and the geographical conditions. The down South, where the temperature remains almost hot, the pattern of dressing is mainly divided into two parts, the ceremonial dresses and working dresses. In the ceremonial dresses, again the culture of the country based on weaving talents. From different weaving styles, one can promptly identify the place of origin of a particular dress in the country. The weaving at Kancheepuram is different from that of Banaras or Surat. In that way, it is worth knowing about the different weaving pattern of Kancheepuram, Banaras, Kashmir, Bengal, and Surat for the executive type of weaving in Zaris, Silks, pure cotton, wool and other materials. "Bidar" situated near Karnataka, predominantly occupied by Muslim community who weave superior quality clothing by hand. (The people at Dhaka in Bangladesh also do the same kind of weaving and there also most of the people belong to the Muslim community). To critically observe or get more knowledge about the culture, culture in persons, culture in individual behavior, culture in food habits and culture in day today work in India, one has to go to the remote parts of the country, i.e. the villages where the ancient culture is being observed as the entity of the varieties. In the semi-urban or urban states, it is impossible to find the true Indian culture of this country. So also, the jewels and ornaments adore by the people of this country varies from region to region. As much as the desire to adore them by jewels, the southern people have got a quenched thirst to adore with jewels to their gods and goddesses as deities than to themselves. The culture of this country has got strong belief in bestowing the most precious jewels in metals or that of a Navaratna to be adored on the deities. Such type of innumerable number of deities are even now available in remote villages where even the outskirt of the villages themselves do not know. There is a born instinct in differentiating the culture of regionalism and is only possible in the spirit of Indian culture alone which is not available in any other culture. However, the Keralite music can be perfectioned by a Tamil origin. The Tamil origins Bharatnatyam can be performed with more grace in Andhra Pradesh. Thyagabrahmams Keerthanas could be sung with more delicate taste by all these Southern Regional but the dressing culture, the food culture and any other culture remains individualistic and they are akin to that particular state to which they belong. The culture of Gurukulam. Though it has taken a pedigreeal concept all from guru to guru, it is restricted itself by imparting knowledge to high spiritual, vedic and ethical only. Some pedigree could not be established in day to day life. Therefore the Gummi, Kolattam and the street drama (Therukoothu), Ottamthullal of Kerala and the native dancing trends of Andhra Pradesh, the big drum festivals of Karnataka and the Veerasaiva sword twisting is restricted to the individual states only which has not spread to the other states. (TrueRishte)

Hindu Weddings

HINDU WEDDINGS

Hindu sacraments are called 'sanskars' and the sacraments performed at the time of a wedding are called 'Vivah Sanskar'.

This sanskar marks the start of the second and the most important stage of life called the 'Grihistha Ashrama' which involves setting up of a new family unit.

Two individuals who are considered to be compatible form a lifelong partnership at this ceremony in which the responsibilities and duties of a householder are explained.

The precise details and rituals performed in a wedding ceremony vary from region to region and often take several hours to complete.

The main stages of a Hindu wedding are:

• Jayamaala
  • Firstly, the bride's parents welcome the bridegroom and his family at the boundary of the house where the wedding is taking place. A red kum-kum (kind of powder) mark is applied to their forehead. Members from both families are formally introduced, marking the start of relationship between two families. The bride and the bridegroom then exchange garlands (jayamaala) and declare: "Let all the learned persons present here know, we are accepting each other willingly, voluntarily and pleasantly. Our hearts are concordant and united like waters."
• Madhu-Parka
  • The bridegroom is brought to a specially decorated altar called 'mandap' and offered a seat and a welcoming drink - a mixture of milk, ghee, yoghurt, honey and sugar.
• Gau Daan and Kanya Pratigrahan
  • 'Gau' means cow and 'Daan' means donation. Nowadays, the symbolic exchange of gifts, particularly clothes and ornaments takes place. The groom's mother gives an auspicious necklace (mangala sootra) to the bride. Mangla sootra is the emblem of marital status for a Hindu woman. 'Kanya' means the daughter and 'Pratigrahan' is an exchange with responsiveness on both sides. The bride's father declares that their daughter has accepted the bridegroom and requests them to accept her.

Vivaha-homa

A sacred fire is lit and the Purohit (Priest) recites the sacred mantras in Sanskrit. Oblations are offered to the fire whilst saying the prayers. The words "Id na mama" meaning "it is not for me" are repeated after the offerings. This teaches the virtue of selflessness required to run a family.

Paanigrahan

A sacred fire is lit and the Purohit (Priest) recites the sacred mantras in Sanskrit.

This is the ceremony of vows. The husband, holding his wife's hand, says "I hold your hand in the spirit of Dharma, we are both husband and wife".

Shilarohan and Laaja Homa

Shilarohan is climbing over a stone/rock by the bride which symbolises her willingness and strength to overcome difficulties in pursuit of her duties. Both gently walk around the sacred fire four times. The bride leads three times and the fourth time the groom leads. He is reminded of his responsibilities. The couple join their hands into which the bride's brothers pour some barley, which is offered to the fire, symbolising that they all will jointly work for the welfare of the society. The husband marks the parting in his wife's hair with red kumkum powder for the first time. This is called 'sindoor' and is a distinctive mark of a married Hindu woman.

Sapta-Padi

This is the main and the legal part of the ceremony. The couple walk seven steps reciting a prayer at each step. These are the seven vows which are exchanged. The first for food, the second for strength, the third for prosperity, the fourth for wisdom, the fifth for progeny, the sixth for health and the seventh for friendship. In some regions, in stead of walking the seven steps, the bride touches seven stones or nuts with her right toe. A symbolic matrimonial knot is tied after this ceremony.

A symbolic matrimonial knot is tied after this ceremony

Surya Darshan and Dhruva Darshan

The couple look at the Sun in order to be blessed with creative life. They look in the direction of the Dhruva (Polar star) and resolve to remain unshaken and steadfast like the Polar star.

Ashirvada (Blessings)

The couple are blessed by the elders and the priest for a long and prosperous married life.

It is important to clarify two misconceptions about Hindu marriages: arranged marriages and child marriages.

The couple are blessed by the elders and the priest for a long and prosperous married life

Hindu scriptures prohibit use of force or coercion in marriages.

Arranged marriages are based on agreement from both the bride and the groom, and should not be confused with forced marriages.

In the Vedic period, child marriages were strictly prohibited. Later, due to political and economical changes, some new social traditions started which deviated from the Vedic teachings.

Child marriages and the associated tradition of dowry were some of the deviations which reformist movements in modern times have attempted to correct. Child marriages are now banned by law in India, although reports suggest that the practice has not been eradicated.

Ideals of Hindu Marriage

In Hinduism, man and woman represent the two halves of the divine body. There is no question of superiority or inferiority between them. However, it is a scientific fact that the emotional side is more developed in women. This does not mean that intellectually, women are inferior. Hindu history is witness to the super-women, like Gargi, Maitreyi and Sulabha, whose faculty of reasoning was far superior to that of ordinary mortals. But owing to organic differences in their physical and emotional constitutions, women are temperamentally more emotional than men.

Duties of a Hindu Woman

Having recognized this fact, Hindu scriptures or the shastras have allotted certain specific duties to Hindu women. These duties include maintaining domestic peace, adjustment of social relations and attainment of spiritual perfection.

The Idea of Marriage

The idea behind the institution of marriage in Hinduism is to foster, not self-interest, but love for the entire family. Practice of self-restraint is the ideal of marriage in Hinduism. It is the love and duty cultivated for the entire family that prevents the break-ups.

Men by nature are less capable of self-restraint than women. That is why, after marriage the Hindu women lead the men by keeping the lustful propensities under control. While married, thought of any other man does not enter the mind of a Hindu lady until she loses her faith in her husband due to his consistent misbehavior and 'don't care' attitude.

The Sanctity of Marriage

The present-day Hindu husbands fail to recognize the sacrifices and lofty ideals of Hindu wives, and thus compel them to follow the worst of the West. During the nuptial ceremony in a Vedic marriage, both the bride and the bridegroom take oath for the practice of self-restraint, to work together for the welfare of the family and to help each other to attain spiritual peace. This lofty ideal of sanctity is a great gift of Hinduism to the world at large.

Protecting the Institution

It should be a matter of great concern that we have begun to ignore the ancient and lofty ideals of Hindu marriage and are anxious to follow in the footsteps of cultures that do not value these ideals. Although Indians are among the most married societies in the world and there are laws governing marriage among Hindus, the number of divorce suits filed by Hindu couples is on the rise. Instead of strengthening the traditional ideals, which for thousands of years have helped us prevent marriage and family break-ups, we are misdirecting our energies towards promoting the ideal of sense-enjoyment and self-interest. In my opinion it is still not too late to be proactive to protect the sanctity of Hindu marriage.