This is part of an assignment for my Anthropology class. Some of the reasons I have gathered are:
1. To have sex legitimately.
2. To avoid lonliness.
3. To bear children.
Please let me know if there are any other reasons.

Lila Jee,
U r completely wrong. We don't have to marry for sex.
You can make gf/bf for it. Frequency of Sex is in actual practice decreases after one get married.
later

Similarly they do not have to marry for getting child & to avoid lonliness.
My friend fro Popuwa New Guinia reminded me that she has child without husband. It’s acceptable in their culture.

To make women stronger when she get married
if Makardhwaj thinks the three reasons were wrong.
Probably women get more power, because if male
try to go away from her, the penalty is too high.
(thats why peoples in Papuwa New Genea probably get
married). Or what else, can you confirm it? from your PNG friend.

Well, in Nepal the reasons are well known

those three +
---- to feel secured, legal bond, to be loyal to each other
----- and possible punishment (in Nepal punishment is only to women
it is bitter truth) if you show some adultary.

Lila,

I would not pretend to know much about the subject, but I think if you look across various cultures around the world, the primary reason people get married in a traditional family is to increase the network of kinship. This would be particularly true in a traditional Nepali family where "falanako chhora and falanako chhori" means so much.

With all the changes that is taking place today, the reasons for marriages in a contemporary family could be very different of course. Like loneliness or the fear of it (whether in the near or distant future), pressure from family and friends (everyone around you is getting married, so perhaps you should too), boredom (been dating for years..... what do you do next? marriage seems like the next natural step to take), wealth, and LOVE of course.

B_D.

You might find this article useful

http://faculty.uvi.edu/tparris/misc/master.pdf

Good luck in your paper.

well it appears to me that none of you have the courage nor the heart to understand the true reason why any man or woman would want to get married. In this age of freedom the word commitment, love, and bond probably no longer have meaning. Every person seems to be out for him/herself and has lost all that tradition and any of our world religions may have to offer us in their teachings.

If you search your heart and have intention to know why a marriage should happen then your answer will come.

perhaps the answer will come more easily to those who may take a moment to ask their grandparents.

it is sad to realize the depth of our confusion in a simple question such as this one here proposed.

Hi guys,

-For Security
-To be Legal and get half of everything (if divorced).
-Love
-To feel comfortable sexually.
-To have Kids.
-Just to know that you will have somebody there forever.
-Share everything.
-If the women does not like their last name then they could get a new last name :o))
-Joint Bank Account (i.e. if your husband makes more money.)
-Easier to Buy a House.
-Human tradition.
-Probably to make my Mum Happy.
& to get a fancy RING!!!!!!

Peace,
-Melanie

Mrs. Siwalik:

I enjoyed your reply, thank you. As I found out, there are a lot of reasons for people to get married. Those reasons such as financial security, companionship, bearing children, or sexual pleasure can all be attained without actually having to marry anyone. However, you implied that there is one reason, though, that surpasses all the others. Unfortunately, I still do not know that real reason behind marriages. Perhaps you could enlighten me. Thank-you.

I think a very practical reason why people marry is because everyone else does! When you are younger you have many friends to hang out with go places with and spend time with. But, as you grow older you find that more and more of your friends start settling down and you find yourself lonely without friends to spend time with or hang out with. Having the choice of either getting married with a girl who'll provide companionship, sex and even some children, or staying single and lonely with depleting number of friends who are married and 'occupied', I think it makes sense that people get married.

And as someone noted above, you might find that maybe it's more fun to get married and share things with that special someone you're married to. It might even be more fun that hanging out with your other friends with whom you don't share your checking account with or your bedroom. You can definitely be more 'down to earth' with that special someone.

People marry because Marriage makes an incomplete human being a complete one. It makes him/her a grown up and gives him/her responsibilities whether those responsibilities are to feed and clothe the wife or to serve the husband. Marriage is supposed to take a person out of the hectic lifestyle that one is in and place him or her in an organised environment giving him or her a path to follow in life and a shoulder to lean on. In short marriage arranges one’s life.

its a natural thing to have a mate for any person as any unisexual creature. Marriage is nothing than a traditional way for that.

for guys its end of their lives, for gals its just the beginning...

Marriage gives licesnse(legality) to have ethical sex(Bertand Russel) and it is the most fundamental human bond on which foundation of family lies.

Mrs Siwalik,
I guess what you implied by the answer is to "Avoid Loniliness in the Old Age".
And that is only thing more promising than anything else.All the rest is crap.So far as the classical sex the married couple have is concerned that is something people get fed up within the first week after marriage.A hooker gives a more artistic sex than anyone and that will cost you much less than getting married.
My answer is "Avoid Loniliness in the Old Age" because at least u can hope that your wife will be there to help you if you were good to her all the time.

Raje,
Thanks a lot! It's a bitter truth.

Why do people marry?
In my opinion,
The reason is same, why do Bhale Gaine kira looks around for another Pothi Gaine kira around the pond?
Pls ask the Gaine kira first.

Do people really have to get married????? if they do..... what are the +ves and if they don't what are the -ves??? or vice versa?

U ARE ALL NUTS

Why marriage? Lets give it a Darwinian look
There was no marriage in Cave age. There used to be only possession of females as seen in animal kingdom even today!
When the civilization (?) shifted from hunting to agrarian society more hands were needed and the possession was more formalized and division of labor was more evident. Still marriage was not there!

...contd
The agrarian society began to form a cluster, leadership began to form, groups began to fight for possession of goods and the loosing side ended up being slave. Both men and women served as slaves. No marriage so far!
When the leaders became true leaders in the sense that they did not have to perform any field job, they began to show more interest in opposite sex.