India's school for brides

Traditional values are regarded as under threat

By Mahesh Pandey BBC reporter in Bhopal

What qualities make a good Indian wife?

Should she wear only Indian clothes, be able to prepare exquisite Indian dishes, and follow traditional family values?

We want girls to have the ability to endure and be polite

Manju Sanskar Centre director Bhau Ayildas Hemani

It may not be fashionable, but that is the approach adopted by a school in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, which aims to teach women how to be ideal wives.

Indian tradition demands that the newly-wed bride move into the house of her husband's family.

'Pillar of happiness'

The Manju Sanskar Centre in the state capital, Bhopal, aims to smooth her path with its special three-month training courses.

Its director, Bhau Ayildas Hemani, says the centre, which has trained some 4,000 women in the last 14 years, is the only one of its kind in the world.

Such centres cannot prepare any young woman for the amount of greed and violence she encounters in her new home

Women's rights activist Subhashini Ali

"A trained bride is expected to perform her duties in her in-laws' house in the best way they can so that it could bring prosperity to the household," says Mr Hemani.

The women start their training at nine o'clock every morning.

After an hour of religious preaching and devotional songs, they prepare food in the kitchen together and exchange their personal experiences.

According to Mr Hemani, a wife is "the pillar of happiness in a family" and should have four virtues - obedience, a healthy lifestyle, be loved by her husband, and attached to the household.

Family greed

But the school has its critics.

Leading women's rights activist, Subhashini Ali, describes the very idea of running such a centre as "ridiculous".

Preparing food is regarded as a key duty

"Such centres cannot prepare any young woman for the amount of greed and violence she encounters in her new home."

Much of the conflict can revolve around the tradition of the bride's family providing dowry in the form of money and gifts.

Despite laws banning it, is still common practice amongst most Indian families.

And it can lead to arguments and even violence if the husband's family feel the dowry is not enough.

"I strongly believe that however much a centre like this may instil the quality of servility in prospective brides, they will still fail because in-laws, when they want, are good at finding fault, " says Ms Ali.

Newly-acquired confidence

The students themselves seem confident in their new roles.

Bandana Raizada says: "I am confident that after this course, I shall not commit any mistake in my in-laws' house."

Another prospective bride, Ranjita Phulbani, says: "Before coming to this centre, I used to think that if I am a working woman, I should not do household chores - but my views have changed after coming here."

Centre director Bhau Ayildas Hemani certainly believes the primary aim of his institution is to save Indian families from breaking apart under the pressures the traditional family now faces.

But women's activist Subhashini Ali doesn't believe it is the answer to the problems facing Indian brides.

In her view, market forces are making Indian families greedy - and a prospective bride is considered easy prey.