Dressed in formals and wearing a nervous expression on their faces, the prospective brides or grooms were easily distinguishable as they swarmed the stadium accompanied by parents and siblings.

From the shopkeeper who had come all the way from Vishakhapatnam and a school teacher in Delhi to an engineer in the US, the sammelan was a unique way to find their partners, instantly. ``I am very optimistic. I am sure one of these girls is right for me,'' said a young man from Surat gazing at the huge crowd around him.

After registration and payment of Rs 250, they were also given a book containing bio-data of 394 people, complete with all details including family income, photograph, colour, bespectacled or not, is Manglik or not and even the Gotra finds a mention.

The actual modus operandi required a lot of presence of mind as the grooms and brides walked up to the stage when their names were announced and introduced themselves in front of the melee. ``This like exhibiting our children,'' said one irate parent, as she changed her mind about sending her daughter on stage.

These were definitely a minority as the popularity could be gauged by the presence of 153 males and 193 females including 9 NRIs from the US, Canada and Australia. Most of them were well qualified: There were 18 men and 73 women who were post-graduates, 8 men and 3 women who were CAs and 11 men and 10 women engineers. There were also 154 doctors who had come for prospective grooms. The average income was Rs 1.2 lakh a year.

Does the fact that this sammelan was exclusively for Jains, the prime reason for being there? ``Yes, it is always best to have somebody who is from your own community,'' said Smita Jain who is a postgraduate. Her parents had seen the advertisement of the sammelan and had decided to attend.

The organisers reiterated: ``Our intention is not to humiliate or interview anybody. What is the harm in talking about yourself in front of your samaj''.

He had been ticked off by those who thought his line of questioning was a little stern: ``Who is the Finance Minister of India?" or ``Do you know the name of the 24 Jain tirthankaras?'' Intentions noble, but they only resulted in embarrassment and loss of face for the candidate on the stage.

This was the third mela of its kind organised by the Akhil Bharatvarshiya Digamber Jain Paishad. ``Arranging marriages like these is the best way to keep our traditions alive,'' said Ramesh Chandra, president of the Parsad.

``Western culture, MTV and Channel V are polluting our environment. It is better to get our children hooked up before they get corrupted by these,'' said one of the convenors.

The marriage mela was definitely a welcome step for many. ``Our society has perverted rituals like dowry. In any case it is difficult to find the right match in our own community,'' said Pawan Jain who had come from Gwalior. Then there was a heartwarming moment when Aanchal Jain who was deaf and dumb but was working as a fashion designer in Okhla confidently walked up to the stage as her father introduced her. ``She is special,'' he said.

After the introductions on stage they walked to an assigned corner of the stadium where the interested parents walked up to them and began deliberations for the marriage.

It is only later in the week, that a correct picture about the success of the sammelan will emerge, but the beginning itself seemed a step ahead in the dowry and ritual-infested world of marriages.

As LM Singhvi, member Rajya Saba and former High Commissioner to the UK said: ``The next step would be community marriages as evidence of progressive thinking on part of Jains''.