Having tied the knot four times himself, controversial Indian-origin writer Salman Rushdie says he doesn't think marriage is "necessary".Attacking the institution of marriage, Rushdie said he did not believe in it and that women rushed to the altar only because they wanted to wear a "wedding dress".The author of 'The Satanic Verses' has been married four times, most recently to Padma Lakshmi, from whom he split last year."It's strange, given that I've been married four times, but I actually don't think marriage is necessary," Salman said in an interview for a fashion magazine."Girls like it, especially if they've never been married before -- it's the dress. Girls want a wedding, they don't want a marriage. If only you could have weddings without marriages."Salman also disclosed that he and Lakshmi had marriage counselling, but without success.Rushdie has been married four times. His first wife was Clarissa Luard, to whom he was married from 1976 to 1987 and with whom he has a son, Zafar. His second wife was the American novelist Marianne Wiggins; they were married in 1988 and divorced in 1993. His third wife, from 1997 to 2004, was Elizabeth West; they have a son, Milan. In 2004, he got married to the Indian actress and model Padma Lakshmi, the host of the American reality-television show Top Chef and that marriage ended on July 2, 2007 with Rushdie indicating that it was her desire to end the marriage. (With inputs from PTI)  ... read more »