How common is Brahmacharya today in India?

It's not anymore.

If 2 out of 100 people consciously take up brahmacharya , I could still call it common. But probably 2 in 5000 people here live brahmacharya in my rough estimation ( correct me).

To be frank, we don't have much of social support & acceptance left for brahmacharis. And I find it quite hypocritical. People worship Mahavira , dedicate bhajans to him, talk about his life in sathsangs for what he was. But they don't want their child to become a Mahavira . They want to marry them to a right match at right place on time … to ensure the security & stability of their future.

I tend to assume that the few brahmacharis that have happened in this generation, ( majority of them ) were strong/ rebel enough to go against their parents' & social norms & expectations and left the family/ village to join some spiritual organisation. Within the family/ village I don't see much of possibility for them.

I don't know much about the environment in cities.

But i don't know anybody living here in our villages who consciously chose brahmacharya. Yes, there are a few men who couldn't get married coz of unemployment, illness, alcohol addiction, disturbing behaviour or whatever reason who like to introduce themselves as brahmacharis.

But yes, I have known a professor in brahmacharya. And people respect him.

PS : Brahmacharya doesn't mean celibacy.

_/\_

VKJ)