While the phrase marriages are made in heaven is a commonly used one, in the real world waiting for divine intervention does seem a trifle unrealistic. A bit of human prodding, be it from family, friends, well-wishers or even a dating service, opens up wider possibilities for locating the ideal match.

Over the centuries the need to find an ideal match for the young girls and boys of a community anywhere in the world was a task that the elders of the community, particularly the parents of these youngsters, gladly took on as a responsibility. In fact, in certain communities, parents pledged children still in their cradles to other infants, without any idea of what life had to offer to these little ones.

In modern times Matchmaking has assumed a different dimension. While marriage is the preferred end to which this whole enterprise is geared, just getting two compatible human beings to get together is also a good enough reason to venture into this form of social service. Essentially, it is all about developing a social, romantic or even sexual relationship with the help of either a dating service, a blind date with the help of a friend, or even a random encounter at a singles bar or at a social club.

The criteria for selecting a good match could be a combination of a variety of factors. An initial screening would be based on age, gender and location, and then would move on to more subjective criteria, like similar interests or hobbies.

After the screening process, an exchange of photographs and then an upfront and personal meeting could well pave the way for what might turn out to be a lifelong relationship. And what started off as an engineered meeting (be it through friends or self-initiated) may become a match made in heaven!