What should you include in a marriage biodata?

A biodata is usually the first thing a family reads before they ever speak with you, so it helps to know what belongs on the page before you start writing. Here's a straightforward checklist, section by section.

Personal details

• Full name, date of birth and place of birth
• Height, and complexion if your family typically includes it
• Marital status and mother tongue
• Religion, and any optional astrology details your family looks at

Family details

• Father's and mother's names and occupations
• Number of siblings, and whether they're married
• Family type (nuclear or joint) and native place

Education and career

• Highest qualification and field of study
• Current occupation and company
• Annual income, if your family shares this — it's genuinely optional

Contact details

A phone number and city are usually enough. A biodata tends to get forwarded around by relatives and matchmakers, so it's worth thinking of it the same way you'd think of a business card — not a full home address.

Optional: religious and astrological details

Caste, gotra, rashi, nakshatra and manglik status only matter if your family matches on them. There's no harm in leaving these blank if they don't — a biodata reads perfectly well without them.

Once you know what belongs on the page, the biodata builder above walks you through each of these sections in order, and shows you exactly how it will look as you go.