Reality TV Bites India

It was customary for royal women in ancient India to choose their husbands from a crowd of eligible young princes from all over the country. These events were known as swayamvars. The fathers of the brides to be invited the bravest and the best to vie for the position of son-in-law. Once the choice was made, the couple married immediately.

Sita chose her husband Lord Rama in this way. The legendary Damayanti who even the gods wanted for their own, chose Nala.

In the Mahabharata, we come across Draupadi choosing Arjuna through an archery contest. And the Rajput Princess Sanyogita chose Prithviraj Chauhan as her husband.

Even The Buddha's wife chose him through a swayamvar.

Prithviraj Chauhan and Sanyogita

The story of how Sanyogita chose her husband, Prithviraj Chauhan, has an interesting twist. The princess was already in love with the prince who was her father's enemy. Knowing that Prithviraj would surely gatecrash the ceremony, King Jaichand devised a way to insult him. He had a statue made in the prince's image and had it set at the entrance of the swayamvar hall as gatekeeper.
But Sanyogita was not deterred by the absence of her beloved. She garlanded the statue instead. Sure enough, Prithviraj turned up and whisked her away on his horse.

The Buddha's Marriage

The Buddha took part in Princess Yashodhara's swayamvar on the request of his parents. Both he and the princess were 16-years old, but Siddhartha Gautama was already deeply spiritual. Although Yashodhara instantly liked him, her father doubted that she would be happy marrying someone who preferred the company of saints and sages.

However, the adamant Yashodhara chose Prince Siddhartha despite the fact that he had not taken part in a contest. This angered the other suitors present. They demanded that he compete with the rest of them in an archery contest. Persuaded by his charioteer, Siddhartha agreed to participate, and won.

A Tribal Girl's Swayamvar in 2008

According to a news item in Thaindian News,dated July 9, 2008, a swayamva was held in a village near Raipur (Chattisgarh). A tribal girl chose her husband from three youths The contest was an intellectual one. Each suitor had to give an explanation about the value of the five elements of life - earth, water, fire, air, and ether.

The winner was Ghanaram, whose spiritual background as the disciple of Satpal Guru enabled him to give the right answer. While the intention of the swayamvar remained as was originally intended, it was a ghost of a 'swayamvar' with just three suitors.

Bollywood Actress Rakhi Sawant's Mock Swayamvar

Rakhi Swaant's swayamavar on television in July 2009 was a huge event with 16 suitors all panting and sweating to become the chosen one. It turns out that the item girl, known for her verbal diarrhea (which made many people wonder how a woman who confessed to prostitution could be perceived as marriage material), was only playing at choosing her mate.

Viewers of this hit reality show were shocked by the uncharacteristic demureness of this 'item girl'. Rakhi Sawant finally threw a garland around a bald NRI businessman from Toronto, whose mother told her that she wasn't returning home without her.

A couple of days later, newspapers revealed that Rakhi Sawant was not marrying the NRI. Millions of viewers felt cheated.

Says Antara S, a housewife: "What a let down! There we were biting our fingernails, tearing out our hair throughout the show, wondering whom Rakhi would choose, and whether the suitor she chose would walk out on her at the last moment. But it's all a farce. I still can't believe it."

Malini M, a software engineer says: The swayamvar is a great idea. Women had so much power in ancient times. I'd love to have a swayamvar!"

Reality TV is here to stay in India, as everywhere else. And perhaps the swayamvar is about to become the new fad in the country.