'Match-fixing in Hyderabad'

In matchmaking, the traditional conditionalities such as caste, sub-caste and horoscope compatibility continue with the same fervour. However, newer, equally stringent conditions are getting superimposed such as educational preferences and of living or working in the US. This paper shows how the educational and migratory aspirations of a young, mobile generation have given rise to newer behavioural patterns that pulsate in matrimonial alliances. By examining the profiles of Telugu brahmin brides and grooms, we explore the meanings of a new, coded vocabulary that has come into vogue to communicate partner preferences and the nuances therein. Through this we try to decipher the changes taking place in the matrimonial space of present-day India.