Stridhana

Hindu law pertains to issues affecting Hindus at large, such as marriage, divorce, adoption, and succession. Section 27 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, provides for disposal of property at the time of dissolution of marriage. According to this section, the court can make such provisions in the ruling/order as it required with respect to any property that may have been gifted, at or about the time of marriage, which belongs jointly to both the husband and the wife.

According to the definition of Stridhana by Vijnaneshwara, any property belonging to a woman is termed as Stridhana. This is accepted by some schools in Hindu law and rejected by others.

The word ‘Stridhana’ is equated with the practice of dowry but in Hindu law, the word means ‘woman’s property.’ The word has different meanings when used in connotation with different schools of Hindu law. For instance, Yajnavalkya defined Stridhana with a broad perspective, spanning whatever is given as gifts before the nuptial fire by the bride’s father, mother, husband or brother or kindred or presented to by her husband on marrying another wife.