eighteen for boys, child marriages still take place. There are two reasons. One is to prevent the premature loss of the girl's virginity and secondly to allow the mother-in-law to train her in the ways of the household (Kluck, 1985, p. 244). It has been estimated that in the late 1970s twenty percent of all married women had been wed underage (Kluck, 1986, p. 244).
As in many other cultures, marriage in India requires the payment of a dowry by the bride's family; thus they are the ones who ordinarily undertake the search for a husband. Delicate negotiations are part of this process as are a prospective groom's status and financial situation when it comes to determining the amount of the dowry, The dowry along with the cost of the wedding can bankrup
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