(1.) Man from the very beginning of the human civilisation has been of a polygamous nature and that is why the family life is the bedrock and backbone of the entire development of the society. Mahabharata emphasised in unmistakable terms that those who live in their family life will attain highest fulfilment of the human existence. Unequivocally the solemnization of marriage is the spinal cord of the body of a family life. The marriage as a sacrament is necessary for regeneration of a man and the only sacrament in the woman. Solemnisation of marriage is an important social function among the followers of all religions and classes. In Indian Society marriage apart from its natural individual significance has still more social significance, as it creates a bond not only between two individuals but between two families. However, Bentham in his Theory of Legislation has said that the end of man in this institution of marriage might be only the gratification of a transient passion and that if passion satisfied, he would have had all the advantages of the Union without any of its inconveniences. Further his theory states that it is not the same with woman; the engagement has, for her, very durable and very burdensome consequences. But under whatever point of view the institution of marriage is considered it is a universal truth, relevant today also, that nothing can be more striking than the utility of this noble contract, the tie of society and the basis of civilisation and that to perceive its benefits, it is only necessary to imagine for a minute 'What men would be without this institution.'
(2.) From times immemorial the respectable type of marriage in India has been commemorated by giving away one's daughter or sister at a wedlock with self-dedicated gifts of ornaments, cash or articles one could easily afford to give. In ancient and medieval India, what a parent or guardian volunteered to present to 'the bride' was that he could easily afford, and neither there was any element of constitution for bestowing anything nor the same was considered a condition essential to the marriage. The element of monetary 'bargain' into marriage was not at all present and the main considerations for the marriage were caste, status, the social and economic position of the families and the compatibility of the horoscopes of the bride and the bridegroom. Hindu Shastras treated marriage as Samskara, a sacrament and the phenomenon of 'dowry' was unknown. This system of dowry originally incepted in the form of giving affectionate gifts at marriages, came to be prevented and replaced by the demands and commercial transactions. Dowry, in its real significance was a voluntarily given gift to a daughter or sister, but today, the meaning and extent of dowry have perfectly changed and it implies the presence of a demand or compulsion, exercised by either side to a marriage against its other counterpart, who has almost no option under the social pressure but to bow down to the demand or compulsion. This commercial transaction of dowry has become a type of bargain between bride's parents and bridegroom's parents.
(3.) It is an evident fact that the reminiscences of the ages have although paved way to the brilliancy of our ideological progress, yet a degenerated working upon, in many aspects, have created many problems to our social and individual institutions contributing in major proportions ' against our social and national solidarity. Telling with the above ideology the problem and evil of dowry crept into the institution of marriage. And for insufficiency of dowry, all sorts of indignities from humiliations to mal-treatment, taunts, and teasing to burning alive are the evil phenomena prevailing in the society with an increasing tendency even in this space age. This is the pitiable tragic and pathetic plight of the young brides in our society, who start their matrimonial lives with sweet dreams of having their own houses with small kids and loving and caring husbands and leave their own paternal houses with the feeling that in that house they were the 'Amanat' of the matrimonial families.