What to Write in a Marriage Biodata

Last updated: 26 September 2026

The essential checklist

Section	Must include	Optional
Personal	Name, date of birth, height, education, occupation	Blood group, complexion, diet, hobbies
Horoscope	Birth time and place, rashi, nakshatra, gotra	Gan, nadi, charan, devak, kuldevta
Family	Parents' names and occupations, siblings	Maternal uncle, relatives, native place
Contact	Parent's mobile number, city	Full address, email

Start with the header

The top of the biodata sets the tone. Hindu families usually begin with "|| Shree Ganeshaya Namah ||" and a Ganesha symbol or a photo of their kuldevta. Jain families write "|| Jai Jinendra ||", Muslim families "Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem", Christian families "God is Love" and Sikh families "Ik Onkar". Below that comes the title: "Biodata" or "Marriage Biodata" is enough. There is no need for "Bio-Data of Mr. ..." or long headings.

How to write each personal detail

Name: full name with father's name or middle name, as used in your documents, e.g. "Priya Suresh Deshmukh".
Date of birth: write it in full, for example "14 March 1998", so there is no confusion between date formats.
Birth time and place: "6:45 AM, Pune". Families that match kundali need the exact time.
Height: use feet and inches (5' 6"), which most families in India use. You can add cm in brackets.
Complexion: optional. If you add it, keep it simple: fair, wheatish or dark.
Religion and caste: "Hindu, Maratha" or "Hindu, Deshastha Brahmin". Add sub-caste only if it matters to your family.
Education: highest degree first, with specialisation, e.g. "M.Tech (Civil), IIT Bombay".
Occupation: role, company and city, e.g. "Senior Analyst, Deloitte, Pune".
Income: optional; an annual range such as "12 to 15 LPA" is common.

How to write horoscope details

If your family matches kundali, add rashi, nakshatra, charan, gan, nadi, gotra and manglik status. In the Hindi and Marathi editors, choosing the nakshatra fills gan and nadi automatically, and adding the charan fills the rashi. In English, rashi, nakshatra and gotra have dropdown lists, and a field you name Gan or Nadi gets one too. For manglik, write "Yes", "No" or "Anshik (partial)". If horoscope matching doesn't matter to you, hide the whole section; nobody will miss it.

Community-specific horoscope and family fields are covered in the Hindu, Brahmin and Jain biodata guides.

How to write family details

Father and mother: full name with occupation, e.g. "Suresh Deshmukh, Retired Bank Manager" and "Sunita Deshmukh, Homemaker".
Siblings: number, name and whether married, e.g. "1 elder sister (married)" or "1 younger brother, studying B.Com".
Maternal uncle (mama): name and city. Many families use this to find common connections.
Native place: the family's original village or town, e.g. "Satara, Maharashtra".
Relatives: optional; list only two or three close ones, if any.

Contact details: what to share

Give one or two mobile numbers, usually the father's or mother's, with the name in brackets: "+91 98XXX XXXXX (father)". Add the city and area; the full address is optional and many families share it only after the first call. An email is useful for NRI families. Avoid putting your own number on a biodata going to large groups.

About me and expectations: sample lines

A short "About me" line and an expectations line make the biodata feel personal. Keep each to one or two sentences.

"Cheerful and family-oriented; enjoys cooking, reading and weekend treks."
"Calm and grounded; working in IT, fond of music and travel."
"Looking for an educated, understanding partner from a cultured family."
"Working professional preferred, based in Mumbai or Pune."
"Open to relocation; values matter more than caste."

More wording examples are on the girl's biodata and boy's biodata pages.

What if you don't know your nakshatra or gotra?

Ask your parents or grandparents first; they often remember it or have the janmapatrika made at birth. A family priest or astrologer can work out the nakshatra from your exact birth date, time and place. Gotra is passed down on the father's side, so paternal relatives usually know it. If you still can't find out, or it doesn't matter to your family, simply hide the field. A missing field is better than a wrong one.

Biodata vs resume: what's different?

A resume is written for employers and lists skills, projects and work history. A marriage biodata is written for families. It needs only one line on education and one on work, and gives equal space to family background, native place and, for many families, horoscope details. It also has a photo and a parent's phone number. Don't paste your resume into a biodata; long work history makes it hard to read.

A complete example, line by line

Field	What to write
Name	Rohan Vijay Kulkarni
Date of Birth	3 January 1995
Birth Time / Place	7:15 PM, Kolhapur
Height	5' 10" (178 cm)
Religion / Caste	Hindu, Deshastha Brahmin
Education	B.Tech (Mechanical), COEP; MBA, Symbiosis
Occupation	Product Manager, Bajaj Auto, Pune
Annual Income	18 to 22 LPA
Rashi / Nakshatra	Vrishabh / Rohini
Gotra / Manglik	Kashyap / No
Father	Vijay Madhav Kulkarni, Retired Engineer, MSEB
Mother	Anjali Vijay Kulkarni, Homemaker
Siblings	1 sister, Neha (married)
Maternal Uncle	Prakash Deshpande, Sangli
Native Place	Kolhapur
Contact	+91 97XXX XXXXX (father)
Expectations	Educated, family-oriented girl; working or non-working as per her choice

Every line is short, factual and easy to compare, which is exactly what families want.

What not to write

Long paragraphs about yourself. Use short lines.
Personal ID numbers (Aadhaar, PAN), bank details or your full salary slip.
Negative remarks about previous proposals or other families.
Exaggerated income or job titles.
Too many relatives; three or four close names are plenty.

Special situations

If this is a second marriage, state the marital status plainly and respectfully; our guide on biodata for second marriage has wording examples. If you prefer not to share a photo in the first round, read marriage biodata without photo.

Which language should you write in?

Write in the language the other family reads most comfortably. English suits most urban and NRI families. If the biodata will travel to grandparents and relatives in the native place, a Marathi biodata or Hindi biodata is often preferred. You don't need a special keyboard: type in English and it turns into Devanagari.

Final check before you send

Read every line once on a phone screen.
Check spellings of names, especially parents' names.
Confirm the birth date, time and place with your parents.
Make sure the contact number is the one that will actually answer calls.
Hide empty fields so there are no blank rows.
Download the PDF and open it once to see how it looks before forwarding.

Keep it on one page

A single A4 page is the norm. If you have more details, drop optional fields or use shorter wording. The Marathi Biodata Make templates also reduce the text size automatically so everything fits. See the complete marriage biodata format for the section order, then fill in your biodata online.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most important part of a biodata?+

Personal details (education and occupation) and family background are read first. Horoscope details matter mainly to families who match kundali.

Should I mention my caste?+

It is common in Indian biodatas, but optional. Include it only if it is relevant to your family.

How long should a biodata be?+

One A4 page. Longer biodatas are rarely read in full.

What if I don't know my birth time?+

Ask your parents or check the hospital birth record or janmapatrika. If you can't find it, leave the field out; an approximate time can give a wrong nakshatra.

Should I write about my hobbies?+

Yes, briefly. Two or three genuine interests help the other family see your personality.