Women from rural Punjab are increasingly visiting the Golden Temple to pray for the marriage of their sons, who have crossed the conventional age, highlighting a growing social concern in villages where many men in their 30s struggle to find brides.A granthi serving at the Golden Temple complex noted that many women approaching him for prayers expressed deep worry over the marriage prospects of their sons, aged 30 to 40. He said prayers offered by devotees had changed over the years, reflecting changing social aspirations.“Some years ago, people would often offer prayers for visas for their daughters and daughters-in-law to go abroad. Now, many prayers are for them to get jobs and permanent residency in Canada or other countries,” the granthi said.The issue has also come to the notice of officiating Akal Takht Jathedar Kuldeep Singh Gargaj. Treating it a growing social concern in Punjab’s villages, he has been urging people to come forward and help facilitate marriages of eligible young men.During his recent visit to Panjwar village in Tarn Taran district, Gargaj urged people to come forward to help arrange marriages for men over 30.Kashmir Kaur, a former panchayat member of Dhotian village, said the problem was visible in all villages.“There are around 10 to 15 unmarried men in every ‘patti’ (a neighbourhood or locality within a village). They include well-educated youth, farmers and those engaged in private occupations,” she said.Baba Pyara Singh, a matchmaker from Lohar village, said, “Every week, over five families approach me looking for brides for their sons, but families with girls looking for a match rarely come to me.”The situation is being linked to several social and demographic changes in Punjab, including the decline in the number of girls following the widespread misuse of ultrasound technology and female foeticide after the 1990s, as well as large-scale migration of young people abroad.Dr Sukhdev Singh, a former Professor in the Department of Economics and Sociology at Punjab Agricultural University, said the consequences of the skewed child sex ratio were now becoming visible. He said the misuse of ultrasound technology in Punjab’s cities and towns after the 1990s had distorted the child sex ratio.“At that time, we had warned that the consequences of such social changes would be faced by the next generation. Today, those boys have crossed the age of 30,” he said.According to the 2001 Census, Punjab had a child sex ratio of 798 girls per 1,000 boys in the 0-6 age group, among the lowest in the country. The ratio improved to 846 in 2011 and 923 in 2025-26 following stricter enforcement of laws and greater public awareness.Dr Sukhdev Singh, however, said the “marriage crisis” could not be attributed to the sex ratio alone. Punjab had undergone major social transformation over the past three decades.“Traditionally, girls in Punjab were often not allowed to travel outside their villages alone before marriage. Today, lakhs of Punjabi women are living independent lives abroad. For many of them, it is no longer necessary to return to Punjab and marry a boy chosen by their parents,” he said.He said the expectations surrounding arranged marriages, however, had not changed at the same pace.“Our society has changed, but the parameters used by families while selecting a girl for an arranged marriage are still largely traditional. Some parents lose suitable opportunities because they continue looking for a daughter-in-law who fits their conventional expectations,” he said.Dr Singh also pointed to changing social structures, individualism and consumerism.“In the era of individualism and consumerism, people are increasingly reluctant to act as matchmakers. Although unmarried men are also found in urban areas, the problem is more visible in rural Punjab,” he said.He added that the agrarian crisis and financial instability in rural society were also contributing factors, particularly when families evaluated prospective marriages in terms of economic security and future prospects.Gargaj said the issue was a major concern for the Sikh community, which was already facing demographic challenges. He said, “It is a major problem that young men are not getting married. The community is already facing a population decline.” He also called for moving beyond caste considerations in matrimonial alliances.“Although we have always preached the elimination of caste — as Sikhs do not believe in it — the community should consider marriages without giving importance to it. Caste restrictions only serve to narrow the pool of potential matrimonial matches,” he said.