Indian marriages are based on caste, wealth, religion and lots more. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Jains and even Parsis - all practice it. Bascially, it's a union between two families. Very few Indians find their own mates. This is done for them by their parents/families and it works better than the western concept of "Falling in love" i.e. if you compare the rate of divorce. It's a traditional society that doesn't encourage dissent. So without a safety net provided by the state, the family, caste and community become very important and doing one's own thing is not easy.