Marriage industry struggles in Kangra, 500 bookings cancelled
Rajiv Mahajan
Nurpur, May 24
The curfew enforced by the state government to check Covid spread has sounded the death knell for the wedding industry in lower Kangra areas. The current wedding season starting mid April has been very disappointing for marriage palaces, tent houses, photographers and the providers of lighting, flowers, DJ, band and catering in Kangra district, as 400 to 500 bookings have been cancelled after the imposition of the curfew.
The cap on the gathering (20 persons) in a wedding without band, community feast, tent and DJ system, besides no ceremonies at home and courtyards have caused huge financial losses to the wedding industry. Most people have not rescheduled their functions this time and decided to solemnise weddings at home as per the Covid protocol. They have cancelled bookings thinking the pandemic is not ending any time in near future. There are around 1,000 tent houses and an equal number of marriage palaces, banquet halls and community centres in Kangra district where various functions were organised regularly.
Ashok Kumar, owner of Pammi Tent House, and Vijay Kumar, owner of Vijay Tent House, Nurpur, lament that they had suffered over Rs 7 lakh loss each in the current wedding season due to the cancellation of bookings. They add that in the absence of income, they are unable to repay bank loans, and pay salaries to workers engaged permanently to make wedding arrangements.
Vivek Sareen, general secretary of the Himachal Tent Dealers Welfare Organisation, says that the wedding industry finds business only 100 to 120 days a year, depending upon the marriage season. “Entrepreneurs in the industry have to manage the entire year expenses from their limited resources. They have suffered huge financial losses due to the lockdown,” he adds.
Sareen says that the organisation had submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on the precarious condition of the wedding industry and urged him to provide interest free loans with easy repay options to the entrepreneurs, who generate direct and indirect employment for around 10 lakh people in the state every year.
Caption: A closed marriage palace at Nagrota Surian in Kangra district during the curfew. Tribune photo
