Kathmandu, April 6 -- On a weekday afternoon at the Bhaktapur District Court, couples queue quietly outside the civil registration desk. They arrive with documents: citizenship certificates, letters issued by the local ward office confirming single status, and two witnesses in tow. Within an hour, most walk out legally married. There are no wedding processions, no music, and no elaborate rituals-just signatures and a brief exchange.

What was once considered an alternative is increasingly becoming a preferred option. Data from Lalitpur and Bhaktapur district courts show a steady rise in the number of court marriages in the current fiscal year. According to Hirakumari Bhandari, spokesperson for the Bhaktapur District Court, 668 marriages h...