Marriage to a successful techie, beginning a new life in a new city it seemed like a beautiful dream for Poonam Nath (name changed). But within a year, everything turned bitter and the couple separated. Poonam is not alone. The city sees an average of 25 divorce cases filed every day.

According to a recent survey by the Children's Rights Initiative For Shared Parenting (CRISP), around 13,000 cases of divorce are pending in various family courts in Bangalore. Of these 5,000 were filed in 2008.

"Now, I am staying alone and have managed to get a job in a BPO," said Poonam (23), who is from Kolkata.

"On an average, divorce cases take three to four years to get disposed of in Bangalore," said Kumar Jahgirdar, president of CRISP.
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Lawyer Bhavana P said, "Cases get disposed of easily if couples opt for divorce by mutual consent. Some cases are pending because as per matrimonial law a year is given for reconciliation."

Experts vary on the reasons for the rise in divorce rate in Bangalore.

"There are reasons galore for the rise in divorce cases. Urbanisation and increasing violence against women and financial stability of both husband and wife, to name a few," said Dona Fernandes, a member of women rights' group Vimochana.

"Today's empowered women are refusing to follow the traditional diktats of Indian marriages. Marriage is the biggest form of displacement for any woman as she has to shift from her home (natural habitat) to her husband's home.