Post for bride on Facebook goes viral

Matches, they say, are made in heaven and more often, on matrimonial sites. But Mark Zuckerberg had better note a novel use of his social media platform as a means to post a matrimonial advertisement. Malayali freelance photographer Ranjish took to his Facebook wall to upload a photo of his home and his parents along with a post, “I am still not married. Am searching for a bride. If anyone knows a suitable girl please inform.” He goes on to give out his mobile number and his age — 34. Along with that is his profession. The next part is the most important one — Ranjish writes his demands that would surely be music to a prospective bride’s family, “I should meet and like her. She should be a Hindu and caste is no bar. I do not have any demands!” He adds that his family consists of his parents and a married sister and hopes ‘Facebook Matrimony’ will help find him a wife.   

Little did Ranjish, a native of Manjeri in Malappuram, dream that his post would go viral with it being shared more than 3,950 times. Ranjish never wanted to court fame, but was thinking of courting a bride. But fame seems to have found him first.

The call gets answered on the number provided in the Facebook post and Ranjish says a pleasant hello. In his Malappuram slang, he goes on to delve into the reasons for posting this matrimonial ad on his page, “Like many others, I too had spent time and money on three-four matrimonial sites but to no avail. At that time I had insisted on a horoscope match, but after finding out various predictions from different astrologers, I gave up that demand. I did not find any suitable match too, hence put this up.”

Ranjish is happy with the response. “A lot of people are responding from across the country and abroad. The people who are calling belong to three categories — those in the same boat as me who want to know the response and follow suit, the parents or acquaintances of girls looking for an alliance.” Ranjish has been asking these callers to WhatsApp him the photo and details of the girls after which he would get back if he finds them suitable.  He finishes, “The third are the curious cats who doubt the genuineness of the  post.”

It is exactly to counter the doubting Thomases that Ranjish posted a photo along with his post showing his house, premises and his family. Now all he needs is a bride to see a happy end to ‘Facebook Matrimony’.