Once marriages were made in heaven. Not actually, but a bit of earth was transformed into a bit of heaven. Homes were decorated with the freshest of flowers, floors were beautified with colourful rangoli, brides were bathed in turmeric water and dressed in shimmering silks and dazzling jewellery, and guests were fed and pampered silly for at least a week. For, that is how long the wedding ceremonies took!
The initial post-independent decades saw a curb in such festivity: Food shortages and Nehruvian socialism discouraged pomp and splendour, and I remember that there was even a rule restraining the number of guests one could invite for any function.
But, Socialism and moderation have now been swept aside by the winds of consumerism in an era where some draw the fanciest of salaries and have such large disposable incomes that they are always wondering where to dump the dough. Why not on marriages? Yes, why not ?
Some Indian weddings have become elaborately lavish affairs, particularly in cities such as New Delhi and Mumbai, where each rich family wants to outdo the other. It is, therefore, not surprising that an average of Rs 25 lakhs are spent on each marriage, and with 60 per cent being budgeted for saris, jewellery and other accessories, the Indian bridal industry is a Rs 40,000-crore annual business today. The remaining 40 per cent goes largely for food and entertainment.
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