Malayali bachelor's Facebook matrimony ad goes viral

When photographer Ranjish, an eligible bachelor from Manjeri in India's Kerala state, took his cause to Facebook, he wanted more than a few likes. His phone hasn't stopped ringing since the post looking for a bride appeared on July 28.

Enquiries, over 200 of them so far, poured in from places as far and wide as Australia and the US. And believe it or not, one proposal came from an Aussie.

Ranjish had almost given up his seven-year search for a suitable girl through paid matrimonial sites, relatives and local brokers, when a friend came up with the idea of an FB post.

"I am a 34-year-old professional photographer and still looking for a suitable alliance. Other than parents, I have a married sister. If you know someone, please let me know," Ranjish Manjeri's post in Malayalam read. Unlike other boys, Ranjish has no demands (read: dowry) except that the couple needs to meet and like each other. Caste is also no issue.

The fact that he had provided his personal phone number and a selfie snap with his parents and home in the background gave the post so much credibility that he was inundated by calls in no time. "Except for half-a-dozen mischievous calls, all were serious enquiries. Families called from India, Australia, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the US," Ranjish told Khaleej Times over the phone.

"Some were enquiries for girls falling in my age group. Some were divorcees. I must admit that to choose from hundreds of proposals will give me a hard time. I have given people my WhatsApp account to send photos and details."

Is he open to a foreign alliance? "I am not averse to foreign girls. But I need to weigh the pros and cons, especially language. I am the only son. Sister is married with an 18-year-old daughter. So no big baggage of responsibilities."

And why was he struggling to find a girl? "In some cases, horoscopes weren't matching. Some backed off for economic consideration since my father is just a retired government employee and mother a housewife."

On his taking to Facebook, Ranjish said he initially received some calls and comments dubbing him thick-skinned. "But I have gotten over my initial scepticism. Why can't I use social media for a genuine cause? I hope my initiative would encourage other youths to realise the power of social media."

Ranjish's matrimony post has since been going viral, attracting 14,000 likes, nearly 4,000 shares and 1,000 comments in two days. Some congratulated him for his guts and confidence, while others trolled him about the perils of a marriage. Some bachelors even asked him to share some proposals.

However, with such a huge response to an idea that did not cost him anything, Ranjish is confident his marriage would be made right here on FB, not in heaven.