Marriage season starts from today, bizmen expects fortune turnaround

Bokaro: After almost nine months of a lull because of the Covid-19 pandemic, owners of banquet halls, hotels and marriage halls are expecting a turnaround in their business with the start of the Hindu wedding season from Wednesday.
Wedding planners are also struggling hard to organise the events in accordance with the strict virus protocols in very little time as priests have said there are only nine auspicious dates during the season in between November and December. However, they are happy that their businesses get a fresh lease of life even though their profits will be compromised given the cap on the number of guests. They are also putting their fingers crossed for a further decline in the number of infections.
Meanwhile, the district administration has appealed to the people to follow the protocols strictly to prevent a second wave even as preparations are in full swing for the marriages.
Dashrat Pandey, a priest at the Navnath Temple in Sector-9, said, "After the lockdown, this is the first time that I am going to solemnise a marriage. We were provided with masks and sanitisers, which we have to carry to the marriage hall."
He said all marriages were also put on hold because of 'Chaturmas' from July to October which is reserved for penance, austerities, fasting, bathing in holy rivers and other religious observances. From Wednesday onwards, the auspicious period for marriages begins with 'Devuthan'. Pandey added, "Hindu marriages can take place on November 25, 27, 29, 30 and December 1, 7, 9, 10 and 11."
Almost all prominent hotels and banquet halls, which were either sealed or turned into quarantine centres, now wear a decorative look to host the marriages. Executives at Hans Regency, Western Farm, and Zaika Resorts among others said they are fully booked on the auspicious dates.
Amit Johar, the owner of Western Farm, said, “We are fully booked November 25, the start ‘laggan'. As the number of visitors will be less, our profit will also be less, but we are happy that our business gets going."
Zaika Resort proprietor Vikram Shanan, “My resort was turned into an isolation centre but now I am looking forward to hosting the marriages. We have limited the number of guests to 100 per event."