From the archive record
Mass Child Marriage being performed in the town of Alwar of Rajasthan, India. Child marriages are illegal in India, but are still performed in some places, due to local religious and cultural beliefs which support and justify the cultural practice. The practice of child marriage in rural India is deeply rooted in cultural values and grounded in social structures. And despite laws that prohibit child marriage, the practice is still extremely prevalent in many regions. Though the statistics are contentious, it is estimated that in some parts of India, like the state of Rajasthan, nearly 80 percent of the marriages are among girls under the age of fifteen. Child marriage is a common practice in many countries around the world, however it is especially prevalent in India, where more than one t