Bangalore: 1,000 weddings in one day

TNN

Bangalore, 06 May 2011: The city will turn into one huge wedding hall on Friday (April 6, 2011) with about 1,000 weddings scheduled on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya.  The day is said to be one of the most auspicious days in the Hindu calendar.

 

One among the couples is BBMP commissioner Siddaiah’s daughter who is getting married at Palace Grounds. Former minister Ramachandra Gowda will be hosting the reception of his son’s wedding, also at Palace Grounds.

 

According to Vasan T, who owns Gowri Shankar Kalyan mantap near Rajajinagar, there are about 700 medium- and big-sized wedding halls and about 300 small-sized ones in the city. "A minimum of 1,000 marriages will be conducted on Friday. All wedding halls have been booked 4-5 months in advance," Vasan said.

 

Sindhoora Kalyana Mantapa in JP Nagar was booked seven months ago for this occasion.

 

Besides, the auspicious day has brought demand for the smaller-sized wedding halls. "Compared to the other wedding halls, ours is smaller, but even we got about 45-50 enquiries for this particular day. But we follow the policy of first come first served," said T G Hegde from Akhila Havyaka Mahasabha, Malleswaram.

 

Also, Friday is going to be one of the most hectic days for the city’s priests who are the most sought after.

 

According to astrologer Daivajna K N Somayaji, the tradition of getting married on Akshay Tritiya has become a rage in recent days. "The ritual of Kanyadana (giving away the daughter in marriage) is considered as most auspicious when done on Akshaya Tritiya. Any good work taken up on this day will bring in prosperity. It’s the day people look forward to every year for starting any new venture," he said.

 

Bangalore is in a mood for gold shopping already. On the eve of Akshaya Tritiya, the jewellery shops were overflowing with special bookings. Arrangements are being made for special counters and most shops would remain open from 8 am till midnight.

 

Prem Jewellers got about 500 bookings already. "The orders are more for smaller jewellery designs which would be cheaper and people can also buy them on the auspicious day. The price of gold is now Rs 2,040 per gram but we are giving it at Rs 1,990 so it is also a good time to invest in gold," said B L Prajapati of Prem Jewellers.

 

Malabar Gold Jewellery shop is going to open at 8 am and remain open till midnight. "We are expecting a 10-fold increase in customers so we have made special counters for different products. We have already received around 300 to 400 advance bookings for jewellery," said the store manager.

 

Same with the Joyalukkas stores in Bangalore which will have a special counter for coins and 24 carat gold bars. They have already received around 20,000 jewellery bookings in Bangalore.