Aurangabad, April 16:
In the last five months, 4,011 weddings were held in the city despite the corona crisis. This is the first time that the exact number of weddings has come to light as police permission has been made mandatory.
Experts in the field estimate that more than 6,000 weddings are held in the city every year. Corona infection began last year during March that marks the beginning of wedding season. Hence all wedding halls were closed from March to October. From November, wedding ceremonies were permitted with only 50 attendees. However, permission from the municipal corporation and the police commissionerate was made mandatory. However, in some wedding ceremonies, the rules were floated leading to penal action against the parents of the bride and groom and the marriage hall owners. Meanwhile, a large number of weddings were held in the city following the rules. According to the data received from the police commissionerate, 4,011 weddings were granted permission in the city in five months. The highest expenses are incurred on the wedding hall, meals, clothes and jewellery. Restrictions on the number of attendees reduced the cost of meals a bit. Preliminary estimates put the turnover at between Rs 40 crore and Rs 60 crore annually.
Weddings postponed
The city has about 250 large and small marriage halls and lawns. Of these, owners of 40 marriage halls are members of the marriage hall owners association. With the start of 'Break the Chain', the rules have been tightened to allow only 25 people to attend the marriage ceremony. But due to restrictions, more than 200 weddings this month have been cancelled or postponed, said Prashant Shelke, association president.
470 registered marriages
While corona infection is on the rise, some brides and grooms decided to register their marriage at the office of the sub-registrar rather than traditional marriages. According to officials, 470 people got married in the last one year.