<P> Hindu Marriage Act bans all kinds of first cousin marriage, but allows these type of marriages when allowed by local custom . North Indian Hindus treat all kinds of first cousin marriage as incest, but same is not the case with South Indian Hindus . Marrying cross cousins is common and favoured among South Indian Hindus . Marriage between maternal uncle and niece was formerly practised among South Indian Hindus, which is considered as incest by other Hindus . Major Dharmaśāstra like Yājñavalkya Smṛti and Manusmṛti also ban all kinds of cousin marriage . In Hinduism marriage within the same gotra is prohibited, where a gotra is believed to be the group of descendants of a sage who lived in the remote past . Two persons in the same gotra cannot marry even if they come from different linguistic areas . However, same - gotra marriages have been legal under Indian civil law since the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955 . Additionally, marriages within certain degrees of consanguinity are considered sapinda and banned in Hinduism . Hindu lawgivers differ in the definition of sapinda: at one extreme, according to some sources marriages are prohibited within seven generations on the father's side and five on the mother's side . In contrast, other sources allow cross cousins to marry, including first cross cousins . The Hindu Marriage Act prohibits marriage for five generations on the father's side and three on the mother's side, but allows cross-cousin marriage where it is permitted by custom . </P> <P> Hindu rules of exogamy are often taken extremely seriously, and local village councils in India administer laws against in - gotra endogamy, . Social norms against such practices are quite strong as well . </P> <P> In the 18th and 19th Centuries, Hindu Kurmis of Chunar and Jaunpur are known to have been influenced by their Muslim neighbors and taken up extensively the custom of cousin marriage . </P> <P> In the Mahabharata, one of the two great Hindu Epics, Arjuna took as his fourth wife his first and cross cousin Subhadra, the sister of Krishna . Arjuna had gone into exile alone after having disturbed Yudhishthira and Draupadi in their private quarters . It was during the last part of his exile, while staying at the Dvaraka residence of his cousins, that he fell in love with Subhadra . While eating at the home of Balarama, Arjuna was struck with Subhadra's beauty and decided he would obtain her as his wife . Subhadra and Arjuna's son was the tragic hero Abhimanyu . According to Andhra Pradesh oral tradition, Abhimanyu himself married his first cross-cousin Shashirekha, the daughter of Subhadra's brother Balarama . Cross cousins marriages are evident from Arjuna's marriage with Subhadra, Pradyumna's (Eldest son of Krishna) marriage with Rukmi's (Brother of Rukmini) daughter . Also Krishna married his cross cousin Mitravinda (Daughter of Vasudeva's sister Rajadhi who was Queen of Avanti) and Bhadra (Daughter of Vasudeva's sister Shrutakirti who was the Queen of Kekaya Kingdom .) </P>

When was it made illegal to marry your cousin