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What is this website?
DevoteeMatch.com is the free matrimonial matchmaking website for ISKCON members who want to enter grihastha ashram (married life in Krishna Consciousness).
Who can use this website?
DevoteeMatch.com is for members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Additionally, members of other Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradayas are welcome. DevoteeMatch.com is not a normal matrimonial website. If you're looking for a pious Hindu, a general spiritual match or a caste match it's best to try other matrimonial websites. If you yourself are not a practising ISKCON member, but you like the idea of marrying one, then this website is also not for you. This website is for practising ISKCON members who want to seriously enter grihastha ashram. Please do not register if you are not a practising ISKCON member - it will be quickly apparent and your account will be deleted without notice. To get started you will need to enter the details of two initiated ISKCON members who can be your references.
What does it mean to be a practising ISKCON member?
Visit the Sign Up page to know the eligibility criteria.
Why is this website only for practising ISKCON devotees?
Devotees understand that the purpose of marriage is not simply to find a life partner, but rather to find someone who can assist one to go back to Godhead. This involves placing Krishna and devotion to Him at the centre of the relationship between husband and wife. Therefore, the qualities that a devotee looks for in a match will be different to what a non-devotee looks for. Non-devotees may take a different approach to marriage and that may work for them, but our focus is on serving devotees.
What can I expect?
DevoteeMatch.com is a technology platform that simply helps you to connect with potential devotee matches - and that is all it is. It's entirely your responsibility to find matches, verify their profiles and take things forward.
You can expect features which make it easier for you to connect with potential matches. Such features include the ability to create and modify your own profile, set privacy settings so that you can decide who sees your identity and photos, search for potential matches and contact them, shortlist/ignore/block profiles, take guidance and suggestions from matchmakers, hide or delete your profile, and set your profile to a private mode so that only matchmakers and matches can see it. We also have a blog with useful articles on grihastha ashram.
We set a minimum spiritual standard that members should adhere to, but anyone can sign up and get started immediately.
We review profiles and monitor activity, and we take action if we become aware of a breach of our terms or standards.
If you're expecting or hoping for anything else, you will be disappointed.
We do not offer anything more or less than what is stated above. We do not do any of the following: matchmaking, introductions, identity verification, profile vetting, moderating/filtering of invitations and messages. There are other services that do these things, but we are trying to solve a different problem.
We certainly do not vouch for any member being a bonafide devotee or ISKCON member.
If you're serious about entering grihastha ashram, you will be ready to do the work required to find relevant matches, vet them properly, communicate with them and decide how to proceed. We hope our technology platform will help you achieve this.
What is a Matchmaker?
Matchmakers are senior ISKCON devotees who facilitate introduction of devotees to suitable matches.
Is this website really free?
Yes, it is completely free. There is no catch - you can use all of the features at zero cost. You may choose any Matchmaker you wish (or none at all) and most of them do not charge any fee. Some Matchmakers may charge a small fee to serve you in a more formal capacity, and that will be stated in their profiles. If you choose to pay, it would be a private arrangement between you and the Matchmaker and would be unrelated to your membership on DevoteeMatch.com.
Why should I select a Matchmaker?
Our network is a trust-based system that largely runs itself with minimal administration. Your safety and privacy are our primary concerns. By selecting a Matchmaker, you are conveying a more trustworthy reputation to other members. Your identity is only shown to your Matchmaker and your accepted members. Each member must display two spiritual references to accepted members. In this way, we enhance the overall safety of the system. We could do more to enhance the trust system, but that would increase our costs and require us charging membership fees - which we want to avoid.
What is the meaning of grihastha ashram?
Grihastha ashram means transcendental householder life between husband and wife for the purpose of attaining Krishna Consciousness. Grihastha is the second stage of four stages of human life as prescribed in the Vedic wisdom, or Vedanta. The four stages are known as ashrams, and they form part of the Varnashram system of society. Grihamedi is the opposite of grihastha. Grihamedi means householder life without any endeavour for spiritual enhancement and only for the benefit of family members, and thus means envy of others.
How do I learn more about Krishna Consciousness?
Please visit your local ISKCON temple. You can find it on ISKCON Centres.
What is ISKCON?
ISKCON is the name of the global Hare Krishna movement, whose Founder-Acharya is His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. To learn more about ISKCON, visit www.iskcon.org. To learn more about Srila Prabhupada, visit www.prabhupada.net and www.founderacharya.com.
How should I use this website?
1. Start by asking your local spiritual authority for proper guidance on entering grihastha ashram. It's best to seek the advice and guidance of parents and counsellors in order to ensure that you are approaching your search in the right mood. Parents, relatives and friends can also register on behalf of the devotee looking for a match.
2. Register and complete your profile as fully and honestly as possible. If the profile is for someone else, ask that devotee to review the details you enter. You may select a Matchmaker that can help guide you and facilitate your search. Your Matchmaker does not have to be local to you, but it's better if they are. Message your Matchmaker to introduce yourself and ask for their assistance in your search. If for some reason that Matchmaker cannot help you or is being unresponsive, you can easily select another Matchmaker.
3. Search for profiles that meet your minimum expectations. Be flexible on materialistic requirements such as physical attributes, and focus more on spiritual attributes. Ask your Matchmaker to review your preferred profiles and help you choose who is a good match to send an interest to. They may advise you to do horoscope matching, so be prepared to do that.
4. Send an invitation to the member and ask your Matchmaker to message the member too. If the member accepts your invitation, communicate with him/her under the guidance of your Matchmaker, spiritual counsellor or parents. Do not share your address until you are confident about the safety of revealing your location to the match. Ask the member for references to verify their profile. Verification of profile information is entirely your responsibility, as is any decision you make to proceed further with a match. Females should always ask a relative, friend or counsellor to accompany them to the first meeting with a male.
Members cannot view profiles of the same gender. Profile IDs identify the type of account:
DMMxxxxxx = Male Member
DMFxxxxxx = Female Member
DMCxxxxxx = Matchmaker
Why does this website not have a profile field for caste?DevoteeMatch.com, like ISKCON, strictly rejects the modern caste system because it is totally inconsistent with Vaishnava philosophy and has no place in our culture. The modern caste system is a corruption of the bonafide Vedic varnashram system. Please read the ISKCON Statement against Caste-based Discrimination. Srila Prabhupada, in the purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 4.21.12, comments: "...when one comes to Krishna consciousness he immediately becomes one of the Achyuta-gotra, or descendants of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and thus becomes transcendental to all considerations of caste, creed, color and nationality", and quotes from the Padma Purana: "One who thinks the Vaishnava in the Acyuta-gotra to belong to a certain caste or creed... is taken to be a resident of hell." Therefore, if you're looking for a caste match, please look elsewhere.
Why can't I use the site without completing my profile?
If you are not movitated to complete your profile, it means you are not serious about entering grihastha ashram. This site is for ISKCON members who are seriously looking to enter grihastha ashram.
How do I maintain my privacy?
You can choose who can see your identity, photos and date of birth. Your references and contact details are only revealed to your accepted invitations and your matchmakers. Your email address is never revealed to anyone.
How do I use site safely?
You should not give your address or personal mobile number to anyone without gettng references and verifying their identity.
A member is bothering me. How do I report abuse/harassment?
You can block the member by clicking on Block on their profile. You can report abuse by clicking on Report Misuse on their profile and giving full and correct details, then we will take prompt action.
Why do you ask for donations?
DevoteeMatch.com has been developed to serve the global devotee community. It has cost many thousands of dollars to create, and also costs hundreds of dollars each year to maintain. Any donation you make will help meet these costs and also help us make improvements. Our humble request to you is to donate whatever you can afford to help offset some of our costs. In addition, if you are successful in finding your life partner on DevoteeMatch.com, we ask that you donate US$108. Registering on this website and using its features does not require you to make any donation.
What if I need further guidance on entering grihastha ashram?
Contact a counsellor or senior devotee at your local ISKCON temple, or one of our Matchmakers.
Why are my login details not working?
If you are sure that your login email address is correct, then try resetting your password. If you get a response that your email address is not recognised, it means that we have deleted your profile as you have not logged in for over four months. We regularly delete inactive profiles in order to ensure that our database stays current. This way, members can be confident that other members are really looking for a match.
Why has my account been suspended?
If you received an email that your account has been suspended, or you see the same notice when you try to log in, it's usually due to one of the following reasons:
1. You did not upload a valid photo. To correct this, send us a valid photo. Send your request by email to support [at] devoteematch [dot] com, and mention your profile ID.
2. You did not give two valid references. To correct this, send us details of two valid references (initiated name, designation, temple, email address) and we will reactivate your account. Send your request by email to support [at] devoteematch [dot] com, and mention your profile ID.
3. You did not enter your full legal name. To correct this, send us your real first name and last name and we will reactivate your account. Send your request by email to support [at] devoteematch [dot] com, and mention your profile ID.
4. You are not eligible to be a member (you are not a practising ISKCON member). Your account will be deleted.
5. You are misusing the system (e.g. posting fake profile details, or sending inappropriate messages). Your account will be deleted.
If you are sure that none of the above apply, contact us to ask why your account has been suspended.
If any of the above clearly applies, but you still send us a query asking why your account has been suspended, we will ignore your query and your account will remain suspended.
Suspension lasts a minimum of two weeks. If you have been suspended for a valid reason, we will not respond to your request until two weeks have passed.
We view breaches of our terms and rules seriously, and we do not have much time to deal with them, so you may expect a delayed and/or brief reply.
Why do I have to give the details of two initiated ISKCON members for references?
If you are serious about entering grihastha ashram, you will be prepared to allow your matches to verify your identity and profile details. This makes the system safer for everyone. If you are a practising ISKCON member, it should be very easy for you to give the details of two initiated ISKCON members who can vouch for your identity and profile details.
How do I delete my profile?
Log in, go to Account Settings > Hide/Delete Profile > Delete Profile.
How do I hide my profile?
Log in, go to Account Settings > Hide/Delete Profile > Hide Profile.
What is Private Mode?
Private Mode enables you to be visible only to matchmakers and your accepted members. Other members cannot see you or find you in Search, nor can you use Search to find other members. You are essentially part of a matchmaker's private database, and you are reliant on your matchmakers to suggest matches for you. You can enable and disable Private Mode from your account settings.
Why is my photo rotated 90 or 180 degrees?
Some devices such as Apple iOS devices may store a rotation property in your photo. To ensure that your photo displays in the proper orientation on DevoteeMatch, open your photo in a photo editing software such as Microsoft Paint and then save it (without making any edits).
How do I ask a question about this website or get technical support?
Send an email to support [at] devoteematch [dot] com. Keep a screenshot of the issue ready in case we ask for it. Do not ask us to help you find matches - we do not respond to such requests.
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