Greetings to all,
My marriage is somewhere between arranged and love. My church friends and family suggested a girl that loved God. I accepted the suggestion and prayed much about it. We got to know each other, and fell in love, and then got married. It's been 21 years now, and marriage has been a blessing to both of us.
I would say that it does not matter how one gets married (arranged or love). Also, there is no perfect spouse (if you're looking for the perfect one). Finding a spouse is just the beginning. A (Christian) marriage is successful when both partners love the Lord, love each other, trust, encourage, forgive and serve each other, despite the differences. The purpose should be to glorify Christ, and portray Christ to our children. Nowadays children do not respect marriage, which instituted by God. This is because parents are too selfish with each other. Therefore we must remember that with marriage also comes responsibility.
Since India is a diverse nation, culture dictates a lot of factors such as dialects, traditions, food preferences, cooking styles, dress styles, music, etc. Therefore marrying someone from your own culture may help. I have personally seen a couple of marriages turn sour because of cultural differences.
The cultural differences may take a higher toll when both are from different countries. For example, my sister-in-law (Indian) married an American. When their children turned 18, the husband wanted to set them free so that they could live independently (as they do in the U. S.), whereas the wife still wanted them to stay at home so that she could care for them and nurture them (as an Indian mother would). Despite both being Christians, this was the biggest bone of contention between them.
And yes, I have seen (among my close relatives) many arranged marriages where the parents were deceitful, and therefore they put their children into trouble.
Having said that, I do believe that Christ can bind two faithful people together irrespective of their cultures and differences.
To all my brothers and sisters who are looking for spouses, may God bless you with His best.