Dowry
Property or money demanded from the bride's family as a condition of marriage — illegal in India since 1961.
Dowry is prohibited under the Dowry Prohibition Act, and demanding it is a criminal offence. It persists in some communities under other names, and matrimonial platforms are one of the places it surfaces. TrueSaath treats a dowry demand as grounds for removal.
Shagun — the small ceremonial gifts exchanged at each stage — is a different thing and is not dowry.
Related terms
Questions people ask
What does Dowry mean?
Property or money demanded from the bride's family as a condition of marriage — illegal in India since 1961.
Why does Dowry come up in matchmaking?
Shagun — the small ceremonial gifts exchanged at each stage — is a different thing and is not dowry.
Compatibility figures are the classical Guna Milan as computed by TrueSaath's free calculator and are offered as a reference, not as advice. Community and place pages describe how TrueSaath works; any member count shown is live and rounded, never a claim.