Even if there are boundaries and shortcomings, still comparing with American or Western ladies Indian Hindu women, especially wife enjoys more love and gifts from husband.

Hindu families give much importance to wife as lady of the house. With the much ado about use of gender sensitive words, now ‘housewife’ is mentioned as ’homemaker’ in English language.—this is a recent development only. But in India in Hindu families, traditionally housewife is called as Maa laxmi; in day-to-day life also she is addressed as maa (mother) by unknown visitors/persons, older people, neighbours, household assistants, service providers to house etc. She is seen as the epicenter of the family.

Most of the families are stable in India and wife has the greatest role to create a peaceful harmonious family. Indian husbands are generally tolerant, gentle and know the value of the wife to build and run a sustainable home! He is rarely going to pick up a quarrel from his side. If wife quarrels also most of the husband plays cool and neutral. If some dares to argue, he ends up as a loser and ultimately surrenders without any condition—and promises to  extend unconditional support to wife for the coming days! It is a matter of consensus among aware hubbies that—no ‘Birapungab’ (great hero) fights at home! If one does so is widely laughed on and teased by friends and relatives. Even in rural areas, illiterate and poor men also take for granted that home is the play-ground of wife, she is the captain here, leave her the due space otherwise you have to bite the dust.

But wife rarely gets satisfied with only the realisation of husband; she needs solid proof of loyalty and love from husband. Mind and love of Hindu wife is never understood or narrated wisely by any scholar or researchers; because most of the renowned scholars of Hinduism are Western people or Indians with Western points of view. Scholars, who are the son of the soil and can write about minds of women have rarely born after the death of Tulsi Das or Kasiram Das!

In practical life, Hindu wife is ever ready to sacrifice her all happiness, including materialistic achievements for securing love and care of husband. She can tolerate even all bad-habits of husband (including drinking)—even she can tolerate beatings from alcoholic or angry husband, still offer nice food and take care of him, till she is satisfied with love of husband.

To manage her and pamper her regularly is much important for husband; and Hindu culture offers lots of plan on wife pampering. While Germany and some other Western countries have system of house-wife’s salary/honorarium by government, which actually makes the works of wife a payable job and reduces its value, Indians take it in a more wise way. Hindus don’t make the mistake of paying wife for her invaluable contribution as a homemaker, rather Hindu culture creates regular occasions that husband is obliged to offer valuable gifts to wife, which also makes the relation sweeter and ensures love and respect within the relationship.

Hindu calendar is full of festivals. Sometimes, I look with awe to Western calendar to mark only Christmas as the major festival; and women merely expect a gift on Valentine and Christmas! Hindus have enormous opportunity to enjoy festivals; almost every month has minimum one festival and most of the festivals offer sound opportunity to offer gifts and love.

For Hindus, most widely and pompously celebrated festivals are—Dussehra and Diwali. In Durga Pooja, husband has duty to offer gifts to wife. These gifts may be as costly as one can afford—this includes saree (clothes), ornaments, home appliances etc.
Deepavali (festival of lights) is another festival when ladies of the house expect gift of jewelleries and costly clothes.
 
Except these two main occasions every regions of India has specific festivals which provides wife to pray for well-being of husband and husband to offer her with nice gifts. For example, Sabitri Amavasya (for Orissa), Karwa Chauth (North India) are both festival of extreme important nature; because wife here fasts and prays for longest life of husband. In Sabitri Amavasya the ancient episode of Devi Sabitri is recalled, who even fought with Yamaraja (God of death) and compelled Yamaraja to return life of her husband Satyaban.  Massage of Sabitri Pooja is that, women are never weak and neither only to be protected by husband, but women has power to protect husband. Before her power of love and determination all dangers even death bows out. Is it not a live tradition of women empowerment for Hindu women, which the world may learn? Women perform the pooja as community, they fast and even don’t drink a drop of water till the pooja ends. This pooja is performed at the third or fourth week of May. After pooja, she does arti of her husband. In Western view, it is seen as sacrifice or subjugation of the wife; but in Hindu eyes this shows complete understanding of a husband-wife, who get united by love and surrender to each other. Wife affirms her loyalty to husband and get back the love and loyalty from husband, which builds a sweet and peaceful home.

Modern Western people are searching for principles to make a durable relationship; but two pillars that stand erect parallel and seldom bents can never make a shade, for making a home both have to bent little and sacrifice something. Husband remains happy and secured about love and respect from wife and wife knows her love is reciprocated by husband in heart. This is a sweet feeling which an Indian couple can enjoy in life.
 
Husband offers most costly gift on Sabitri Pooja to wife. Cost of items, fruits etc in local markets go high in the particular week, newspapers publishes comical cartoons and stories describing sweating condition of Satyabans, the husbands, while purchasing costly gifts for wife, in this time of inflation (this year meltdown of economy), but all these are done in good fun and this makes the festival more attractive. Husband teases wife as his ‘saviour’ and wife smiles in a good faith and prays to goddess Sabitri to keep her pride. All these make a mutual trust, respect and love and strengthen husband-wife relation in Hindu family.

Dola Purnima or Holi (the festival of colours) is celebrated in consecutive two days, in the month of February/March, when wife may expect a colourful saree from husband with a handful of colour Fagu (colour powder) over her face and head. The whole family enjoys together spreading colours to each other, friends and neighbours are invited for sweet and sarbat (soft-drinks) party and a whirl of cheer refresh the busy and boring life.

Indians following Western culture for last few decades have already lost many of its uniqueness including couple relationship. But following Western culture in relationship management only can bring more and more breaking of marriages and hearts.