So I did my research on how to go about doing this. Now, there are 2 laws through which you can get your marriage registered / get married.
1. Hindu Marriage Act, 1955
2. Special Marriage Act, 1954

The kind of marriage you see in the movies, where 2 lovers sign a register and get married is usually the “Special Marriage Act”. Here you are required to submit the required forms, get 3 witnesses to sign and provide 30 days notice. During this period, the notice will be posted on the bulletin board to enable anyone with an objection to the marriage to notify the Registrar. After 30 days, the bride and groom can get the marriage solemnized at the same office and collect the Marriage certificate.

I got my marriage registered through the Hindu Marriage Act in Bangalore. This allows two Hindus who got married in a Hindu religious ceremony to register their marriage at any Sub-Registrar’s office. The best part is that you can get the Marriage Certificate on the same day.

Here is what you need to do:

1. Download the forms & fill it up.
2. Get three witnesses to sign the forms. (They need not accompany you to the Sub-Registrars’)
3. Get five joint photographs (Size 2B) of the Bride & Groom.
4. Proof of age for both Bride & Groom.
5. Proof of address for both Bride & Groom. (This has to be some sort of Karnataka Govt issued ID – Voter’s Card, Ration Card, RC Book, Driving License, Passport)
6. Marriage Invitation Card.

Once all these documents are ready, head to the Office of the Sub-Registrar of Marriages. There is one located at K.R. Puram (right behind stinky K.R. Puram market). You do not have to approach any of the agents on the ground floor. Go right into the office. If you have any doubts filling up the form, you can ask the concerned person. When I went there, it was a lady named Shakuntala & she was very helpful.

Clerk #1 will check all the documents and ask the Bride & Groom to fill up a register and sign it. Then it will be taken to the Sub-registrar himself for verification. He will endorse it if everything is in place; It will then be forwarded to Clerk # 2 for entering all the details into the Online database, all forms and the Marriage certificate will be printed and given back to Clerk # 1. Two photographs will be then pasted on the marriage certificate and the Bride & Groom will have to sign across the photos and another register.

All these documents will be submitted to the Sub-Registrar who will sign everything and you can pay the fees to Clerk # 1. And you’re done ! Congrats !!

Notes:

• This is best if you are already married, but dont have the Govt. Marriage certificate or if you are in a hurry to get a marriage certificate.
• The pre-requisite for this registration is that you have to be married in Hindu ceremony. you will have to produce a marriage invitation or a letter from the temple or priest.

Useful Links

• Department of Stamps & Registration
• Arya Samaj, Bangalore

Like Rajdeep Sardesai rightly commented on TV, “Barack Obama won the elections and became President of the World”.

The whole International community…developed nations, developing nations, third world countries all await with bated breath for the “magic” he is going to create…. This is what I have gathered from all the interviews shown on TV with common people across nations. Maybe they dont still know what it is he is going to do, but its a hope against hope that maybe… just maybe something is going to be done thats going to set right a lot of things if not all.

This is a colossal weight on his shoulders… If all his exotic background was magnified to be a perfect fit for the job as President of a country facing new challenges and burden of fixing old ones, any slip will also be magnified and blown out of proportion. Its like going to watch the movie who everyone said is so great that there is no chance that anyone will not like it. Late watchers of the movie go with such an expectation of greatness that they very often fail to appreciate the movie itself, because the hype  raised the bar so much!  Hope Obama’s oratory skills, charm and charisma hasnt raised the bar so much that the whatever he does passes off as “not enough”.

If ordinary people across the globe expect a lof  ‘magic’,  then what would millions of Iraqis be thinking ? would that be of relief ? anxiety..that once the US army leaves, it would result in a chaotic implosion of Iraq? Confidence.. that now we are equipped to build our nation further ?

What would the Afghans think ?.. Like that of a scared kid caught under a spotlight ? what would the terrorists be thinking ? A new excercise of having to size up the new Commander in Chief ? Of being contended latently that their arch enemy is now lead by somewhat one-of-them ? Atleast in name ? and that he chose to take oath with his Muslim middle name ? and was that a message to the Muslims that no ! America is not your enemy anymore ! I, too have risen from the likes of you to be here..

Lets just hope that people now have an excuse to forget their ego and let go their differences… or maybe forget their ego and accept other’s differences… then maybe the world has a chance…. Obama or No-bama.

On my way to my office which is about 5 kms from where I stay, the roads we as usual bad, riddled with potholes, and featured humps at every possible cross. One fine day, someone at the PWD woke up and got the roads at 5th cross freshly tarred. I thanked the almighty (up in heaven or the one up the PWD chain) for the good fortune. Hardly a week down, i saw that wonderful stretch of road was cut across at one place. The culprits I discovered were non other than the owners of a newly constructed house who cut the road, laid the drain-pipe and just covered up the mess. Then a week later, the mud was blown & washed away, the broken tar wore away and then started, the deterioration of 5th Cross.

Now, the owner of that newly constructed house better never complain about bad roads and potholes. He has lost his right to complain about it, because he himself had a part to play in contributing to the ill health of the roads. People who dump garbage on the roadsides better not complain about one…the stink it raises and two..the flies that hover above it and contributing to the general filth around in that area. This in turn encourages straydogs to feed on the garbage, strays then dont leave the area, breed and multiply adding to another set of social environment woes. They lose their right to complain.

A lot of people love pet dogs and enjoy taking them on walks. The irony is that this exercise is with more intention to make the dogs defecate on the roads than to take them walk. These same people are the ones who complain about the amount of excreta on the roads. They cannot stand the filth and crap on the roads. What about the amount of crap they are responsible for getting unloaded onto the roads. They lose their right to complain.

Singapore I believe has a rule that you need to clean after your dog has done the deed on the road. No wonder the roads stay clean there. Can this be implemented in India ? Probably yes, but who will police it ? For how long ? This calls for some self policing. I know a family who loves dogs and has a closet built on the terrace where they dump their dog-poo. Now thats being a pet lover and socially responsible. Unless we find out ways to clean up after ourselves and our dogs, the roads and our social psyche will always remain dirty.