PUNJAB SIKH ANAND KARAJ MARRIAGE ACT 2018

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THE PUNJAB SIKH ANAND KARAJ MARRIAGE ACT 2018 
(VI of 2018) 
CONTENTS 
 
1. Short title, extent and commencement 
 
2. Definitions 
 
3. Solemnization of Anand Karaj 
 
4. Saving of marriages  
 
5. Registration of marriages 
 
6. Dissolution of marriage 
 
7.  Power to make rules 
 
8. Overriding effect 
 
9. Repeal and savings 
 
 
 
TEXT 
1
THE PUNJAB SIKH ANAND KARAJ MARRIAGE ACT 2018 
(VI of 2018) 
[19 March, 2018] 
An 
Act 
to provide for solemnization and registration of Sikh marriages. 
It is necessary to make provisions to regulate Sikh marriages commonly known as 
Anand Karaj; 
Be it enacted by Provincial Assembly of the Punjab as follows: 
1. Short title, extent and commencement .– (1) This Act may be cited as the 
Punjab Sikh Anand Karaj Marriage Act 2018. 
(2) It extends to whole of the Punjab. 
(3) It shall come into force at once. 
2. Definitions.– In this Act: 
(a) “Act” means the Punjab Sikh Anand Karaj Marriage Act 2018;  
(b) “Anand Karaj” means the lawful union of a Sikh male and a Sikh female 
solemnized under the Act and conducted in accordance with the 
practices of the Sikh religion, where the four laavaan, permitt ed in the 
Sri Guru Granth Sahib, are recited; 
(c) “Anand Karaj Certificate” means the certificate of a marriage issued by 
the Anand Karaj Registrar; 
(d) “Chairman” means the Chairman of a Union Council or Municipal 
Committee or any officer authorized by the Govern ment to perform the 
functions of the Chairman under the Act; 
(e) “Government” means Government of the Punjab; 
(f) “Granthi” means a Sikh who recites the Guru Granth Sahib and 
solemnizes a marriage between Sikhs; 
(g) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules; 
(h) “Sikh” means a person who follows Sikh religion as a monotheistic Sikh 
religion and believes in the scriptures of Guru Granth Sahib and does 
not subscribe to any other religion; and 
(i) “Sikh religion” means the belief in Akalpurakh (One Eternal Being), the 
ten Gurus from Guru Nanak to Guru Gobind Singh and the acceptance 
of Guru Granth Sahib as the Eternal-Living Guru. 
3. Solemnization of Anand Karaj .– (1) A Sikh male and a Sikh female may 
contract a marriage in accordance with Sikh religion, if the parties to the marriage:  
                                                 
1This Act was passed by the Provincial Assembly of the P unjab on 14.03.2018; assented to by the Governor of the Punjab on 
19 March 2018; and, was published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated: 20 March 2018, pp.6609-6611. 
 
 
(a) are of sound mind and not below the age of eighteen years;  
(b) enter into marriage contract with their free and full consent; and 
(c) are not related to each other in any degree of consanguinity or 
affinity which, according to the customary law o f Sikhs, renders 
the marriage  between them unlawful. 
(2) Nothing in the Act shall be deemed to validate any marriage between 
the persons who are related to each other in any degree of consanguinity or affinity 
which would, according to the customary law o f Sikhs render a marriage between 
them illegal. 
4. Saving of marriages .– Nothing in the Act shall affect the validity of any 
marriage duly solemnized according to any other marriage cere mony customary 
among the Sikhs. 
5. Registration of marriages .– (1) Eve ry marriage between Sikhs shall be 
registered under the Act. 
 (2) For purposes of the registration of the marriages under the Act, the 
Government, in the prescribed manner, shall grant license to one or more persons 
professing Sikh religion to be called An and Karaj Registrar authorizing them to grant 
Anand Karaj Certificate. 
 (3) The bridegroom and the bride or a Granthi shall fill the Anand Karaj 
Form and present it, within thirty days of the marriage, to the Anand Karaj Registrar 
for registration of the marriage and a copy thereof shall be sent to the Chairman.  
 (4) The parties to the marriage or the Granthi or any other person who 
solemnizes Anand Karaj shall accurately fill all the columns of the Anand Karaj Form. 
 (5) On receipt of the Anand Karaj Form , the Anand Karaj Registrar, having 
been satisfied that the marriage has been duly solemnized under the Act, shall 
register the marriage and issue the Anand Karaj Certificate.  
 (6) A marriage which is not solemnized by the Anand Karaj Registrar shall, 
for the purpose of registration under the Act, be reported, within thirty days of the 
solemnization of the marriage, to him by the Granthi or the person who solemnized 
the marriage. 
 (7) The Anand Karaj Form, the register to be maintained by the Anand 
Karaj R egistrar, the records to be preserved by a Union Council, the manner in 
which the Anand Karaj shall be registered, supply of the copies of Anand Karaj 
Certificate and the fees to be charged therefor shall be such as may be prescribed.  
 (8) Whoever contravenes the provisions of this section shall be punished, 
in the prescribed manner, with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees. 
6. Dissolution of marriage.– (1) Any party that wishes to dissolve the marriage 
shall give to the Chairman, notice in writin g of his or her intention to do so and shall 
supply a copy thereof to the other party. 
(2) Within thirty days of the receipt of the notice under subsection (1), the 
Chairman shall constitute an Arbitration Council in the prescribed manner for the 
purpose of bringing about reconciliation between them and the Council shall take all 
steps necessary to that effect. 
(3) If the reconciliation is not effected within ninety days from the date of 
the notice, the Chairman shall, after the lapse of the ninety days, de clare the 
 
 
marriage to have been dissolved and issue the Certificate of the Dissolution of 
Marriage in the prescribed manner. 
7. Power to make rules .– The Government may, by notification in the official 
Gazette, make rules to carry out the purposes of the Act. 
8. Overriding effect.– Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for 
the time being in force, the provisions of this Act shall have effect. 
9. Repeal and savings.– (1) The Anand Marriage Act, 1909 (VII of 1909), in its 
application to the Province of Punjab, is hereby repealed. 
 (2) Notwithstanding the repeal of the said Act, anything done, action taken, 
rules or orders made under the repealed Act, shall, so far they are not inconsistent 
with the provisions of the Act, be deemed to have been d one, taken, made or issued 
under the Act and shall have effect accordingly. 
 (3) Any document referring to the repealed Act shall be construed as 
referring to the corresponding provisions of the Act.