Are arranged marriages better?

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Statistics are showing that arranged marriages have an incredible chance of working but what makes them so appealing?

The pursuit of true love and ultimately, matrimonial bliss, comes from years of heartache and searching but even then, one in three marriages in Australia end in divorce.

But for millions around the world, that stress of finding a partner is left 100 per cent to mum and dad and that is also happening in Australia.

Shubhadip and Anindita Ghosh have been married for just four months with their union arranged through their parents in India.

"I trusted my parents totally, I thought they will choose for me a better person," Anindita said.

"My parents know me better than anyone else in the world, so they know what is best for me."

With Shubhadip studying in Australia, they met face to face for the first time, just a few days before the ceremony.

"The first time we sat and saw each other and spoke to each other was on the night of our engagement," he said.

"After some days of continuously phoning and chatting we fell in love."

Om and Savita Jhorar have the benefit of hindsight.

Their arranged marriage of 16 years taught them to look beyond physical attraction.

"When you are thinking about long time you change their dress but you can't change the person," Savita said.

Now with two teenagers, the couple said the successful marriage comes down to perseverance and an appreciation of values without constraints.

Anthropologist and relationships expert Bella Ellwood-Clayton said Australians could learn a thing or two about love from such cultures.

"Love is very complex and the type of love Westerners go for doesn't last," she said.

"Arranged marriages only have a divorce rate of 4 per cent compared to Australia which is of course about 40 per cent."

Bella said success is due to the lack of expectations and no preconceptions.

"Traditionally marriage has been about economics and politics and joining families together for inheritance or property so marrying for love is a 20th century phenomena," she said.

Arranged marriages of all descriptions are a global concept.

South Africa, Canada and Australia have all had a history of practicing arranged marriages.

In India, 95 per cent of marriages are arranged.