Is marriage a necessity in this modern world ?

I think it would depend on what you want from the relationship. If you are not married, you don't have the same rights a married couple has. When my b/f was deathly ill in the hospital, I had no rights as far as they were concerned. Didn't matter that we had lived together for 5 years. His mother had to make all the decisions. Luckily, she always asked me what I wanted to have done. But, unless you have some legal papers drawn up, if you are not married, you have no legal rights if you are not married.

I do not feel that it is. I have been with the same man for 12 years. We have talked about it but really do not feel the need. My sister and her man have not gotten married either and have been together for 30 years.

Marriage is no longer "essential" in the way it was 100 years ago, rather in these times it's a choice. Because people are now able to choose whether or not they want to marry, as opposed to being pushed into it, people are able to marry for love, not so much for the "family connections" marriages meant in past centuries.