As per Section 7 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, when a marriage is solemnized through the Saptapadi ceremony, at which point does the marriage become complete and legally binding?

Section 7 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 recognizes that a Hindu marriage may be solemnized according to the customary rites and ceremonies followed by either party, allowing flexibility across India's diverse regional and community traditions. Where the customary rites include the Saptapadi, meaning the bridegroom and bride jointly taking seven steps together before the sacred fire, the law specifically states that the marriage only becomes complete and legally binding once the seventh step is taken. This means that if a couple stops midway through the seven steps, the marriage is not considered legally solemnized, since completion of the full ritual is the decisive legal moment. The Supreme Court reinforced this principle in Dolly Rani v. Manish Kumar Chanchal (2024), emphasizing that genuine performance of essential Hindu ceremonies like Saptapadi remains necessary for a marriage to be valid, and that simply registering a marriage without such ceremonies does not automatically make it legally solemnized. Section 8 of the Act separately provides for registration of Hindu marriages, but this registration serves only as evidentiary proof and does not itself constitute the marriage.