What We’ve Done to Marriage in Kashmir

Kashmiri wedding used to mean a prayer, a promise, and two families coming together. Today, it often means debt.

- Amaar Mir

Across the valley, thousands of women remain unmarried. They aren’t waiting for the right person. They're waiting for the finances to line up.

In a place where culture once valued simplicity and faith, marriage has become a public performance, with meat-heavy feasts, dowries dressed as gifts, and expectations that grow more punishing each year.

The numbers are stark. More than 65,000 women in Kashmir have crossed the traditional age of marriage. In Srinagar alone, over 45,000 women over 30 remain unmarried. This isn’t due to a lack of education, faith, or character. It’s because their families can’t afford what society now treats as minimum requirements: gold, lavish functions, designer wear, and long guest lists.