A marriage certificate alone cannot validate a Hindu marriage if essential religious rites like Saptapadi were never performed, the Gujarat High Court has ruled. The court emphasized that registration merely proves an already valid marriage, not creates one. This decision nullified a marriage where the woman admitted no rituals took place, despite a registered certificate, highlighting the primacy of religious ceremonies over documentation. A marriage certificate alone cannot validate a Hindu marriage if essential religious rites like Saptapadi were never performed, the Gujarat High Court has ruled. The court emphasized that registration merely proves an already valid marriage, not creates one. This decision nullified a marriage where the woman admitted no rituals took place, despite a registered certificate, highlighting the primacy of religious ceremonies over documentation.
