ANiS Launches Maharashtra’s First Intercaste and Interfaith Matchmaking Bureau
ANiS Launches Maharashtra’s First Intercaste and Interfaith Matchmaking Bureau
Pune, July 23,2025: Taking a bold step towards breaking barriers of caste and religion, the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (ANiS) has launched the state’s first intercaste and interfaith marriage bureau. The initiative aims to support men and women who wish to marry outside their caste or religion of their own free will.
The matchmaking centre invites individuals to register and seeks to provide a safe, supportive platform for such alliances. “Caste is one of the greatest superstitions,” ANiS quoted its late founder Dr Narendra Dabholkar as saying, while recalling Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s vision that widespread intercaste marriages could pave the way for eradicating the caste system.
For years, ANiS has actively promoted intercaste and interfaith marriages, facilitating many such unions across Maharashtra. Building on this mission, the organisation recently also established the state’s first safe house for intercaste and interfaith couples at Rahimatpur in Satara district.
After registration, ANiS assists couples in finding suitable matches and ensures the decision is made thoughtfully and without coercion. Couples are encouraged to get married under the Special Marriage Act or in the Satyashodhak Samaj tradition, which upholds equality and rejects caste-based divisions.
Importantly, the registration and matchmaking service is entirely free of charge. “For parents and individuals who truly want to challenge caste and religious boundaries, no such platform existed until now. We’ve stepped in to fill this gap,” said ANiS president Hamid Dabholkar.
The organisation also highlighted that both state and central governments offer special schemes to encourage and support such progressive marriages.
