That's one of those controversies misunderstood and always favours the feminine part of it because, sometimes men (or familily) actually demanded dowry for the boy is in a government job. And it's not the fault of the boy's family because girl's father wanted to buy a well settled groom instead of a good boy who can love and take care of the girl the whole life.

But it is now a thing of past mostly. Now everything is done pretty mutually and amicably. Lot of money, ornaments and show business in marriages is done to establish that a family is so prosperous. Like my father threw more 1000s of Indian currency note in my Barat