Marriage practices in South India

Consanguineous marriage has been a fascinating area for both socio-cultural and biological anthropologists for long. But there has not been any study which takes within its perview both the cultural and biological aspects of consanguineous (close kin) marriages, though a need for it did exist. The Marriage Practices in South India meets such a need by presenting an analysis of the phenomenon based on a study of three caste groups (Desuri Kapu, Devanga and Mala) in one of the districts (Nellore) of Andhra Pradesh, South India. These endogamous populations represent different socio-economic levels.