25% of Valentine Day couples in a survey conducted in India by Tripadvisor expressed concern over Hindu right wing organisations’ threat that anyone found sharing love tomorrow will be forcibly married.
“While 44% respondents are not concerned with regards to threats from certain organisations to take action against public couples, 25% are concerned about the threats,” Tripadvisor, the world’s largest user-generated travel review site said.
Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha, a right wing organisation, has declared that they will forcibly marry couples found expressing their love on the day, provided that they are not married already.
The Mahasabha has even warned that people who express love for each other through remote means, such as social media, will also be tracked down and married off.
“It is encouraging to see that that majority of the respondents to our survey are not deterred by threats from certain organisations and will continue with their celebrations as planned,” said Nikhil Ganju, Country Manager, TripAdvisor India.
The threat has given hope to some couples who have been unable to get married due to family objections in a society where most people marry within their tribe or community, even in cities.
The Tripadvisor survey, however, was not primarily aimed at figuring out the reaction to the threat marriage, but at finding the best getaways in the country. A total of 682 people from India participated in the survey.
Rajasthan and Kerala ranked as the top destinations for lovers on Valentine’s day this year. The top resort pick was the Pearl Palace Heritage in Jaipur, while the Wildflower Hall, Shimla came second.
At third place was Kaiya House in Varkala in Kerala, followed by Old Harbour Hotel in Kochi.
| Top 25 Travellers’ Choice Hotels for Romance | ||
| S No | Winner | State |
| 1 | Pearl Palace Heritage – The Boutique Guesthouse | Jaipur |
| 2 | Wildflower Hall, Shimla in the Himalayas | Mashobra |
| 3 | Kaiya House | Varkala |
| 4 | Old Harbour Hotel | Kochi (Cochin) |
| 5 | Umaid Bhawan Palace Jodhpur | Jodhpur |
| 6 | The Oberoi Vanyavilas | Sawai Madhopur |
| 7 | Hotel Pleasant Haveli | Jaisalmer |
| 8 | Taj Lake Palace Udaipur | Udaipur |
| 9 | Sajhome | Kochi (Cochin) |
| 10 | Shanti Home | New Delhi |
| 11 | 1st Gate Home- Fusion | Jaisalmer |
| 12 | The Gulaal | Jaisalmer |
| 13 | The Oberoi Rajvilas | Jaipur |
| 14 | Bougainvillea Guest House Goa | Candolim |
| 15 | Kannur Beach House | Kannur |
| 16 | Taj Rambagh Palace | Jaipur |
| 17 | The Oberoi Amarvilas | Agra |
| 18 | The Oberoi Cecil, Shimla | Shimla |
| 19 | The Oberoi Udaivilas | Udaipur |
| 20 | Palais de Mahe | Pondicherry |
| 21 | The Tamara Coorg | Yavakapadi Village |
| 22 | The Nattika Beach Resort | Thrissur |
| 23 | Royal Heritage Haveli | Jaipur |
| 24 | Tree of Life Resort & Spa, Jaipur | Kookas |
| 25 | Hotel Victoria | Jaisalmer |
The survey also found that 25% of those planning a Valentine Day break plan to travel out of the city, 25% plan to travel out of the country and the rest plan to stay within the city but at a hotel/resort/spa etc.
75% of the respondents were of the opinion that Valentine’s Day getaway is an overhyped concept and that they would go on a romantic holiday with their partner anytime in the course of the year.