by Chiranjibi Paudyal

Created on: April 19, 2008

Living together with all your immediate family members is a tradition of India since ancient time. The concept of extended family started since the Vedic time as the religious scriptures clearly say :"It is the responsibility of the children to look after their parents, grand parents and great grand parents during their old age."

Religious, cultural and social tradition combined with the practical approach are said to be the main reasons of the traditions of extended family in India. India is a country of ancient civilization, the country of origin of Hinduism and Buddhism. This is the country where ancient sages taught to have pity on all mankind irrespective of their religious or political ideologies. Tradition of extended family is there since time immemorial.

What is extended family

Son is considered to be very important in the family. This is the responsibility of a son to take care of parents if they are old, disable or ill. After the marriage of a son, he stays with the parents even after he has kids. If there are many sons of a parent, all live together until they finish their education and start their own business or get some employment. It is the responsibility of the parents to marry their sons and daughters. In most of the families, the tradition of arrange marriage is still there, though the "love marriage" tradition has taken place in the recent days. Daughters marry and go the homes of their husbands.

When the sons marry then the family extends. Some still live with the parents until they have children. They share the same house, same food and follow the same instructions of parents. It is the responsibility of the sons to manage business, farm or make the earning for the family. However, the daughter in laws have the collective responsibility of managing the house. All household responsibility is on daughter in laws.

But this has changed little bit in cities and towns and in the educated families. Daughter in laws have also outside responsibility as they can go out to work or manage the business or farm now a days.

If something happens at this stage then daughter in laws are blamed as they are the only new comers and have come from different families and background. When debate, discussion and quarrel becomes every day matter then the process of division of property and living separately starts.

One of the sons must stay with the parents. Others can have their own house and live separately. The children live with their grand parents and some time even

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