MUMBAI, INDIA, February 14, 2003: Shaida.com has taken their site from cyberspace to a brick and mortar location by holding a swayamvara in the cities of Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata. A swayamvara is a Hindu custom in which a girl chooses her own husband from an assembled group of prospects, though in this case the choosing is mutual. Starting on February 14, young men and women who are registered with the website meet in a room sitting in separate rows of chairs facing each other. They can quickly bring up the profile on an accessible computer of someone they may wish to meet. So far Shaida.com has made 50-60 matches and they hope to have brought at least 1,000 couples together during the next few days. Manager Vandana Asija says, “We have had 300% more response for the swayamvara than we usually do on our website. Traditional Indian values along with a Western, modern outlook is at a premium.”
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