Hyderabad: Both the Telugu states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were in the grip of a wedding frenzy. More than 200,000 marriages were slated to be solemnised this weekend as the auspicious phase for weddings comes to an end on Saturday.
According to an estimate while 100,000 ceremonies are to be held in Hyderabad alone on Saturday and Sunday, another 120,000 weddings are planned in Andhra Pradesh.
Such was the rush for the marriages that Andhra Pradesh legislative assembly declared a holiday on Friday and Saturday on the request of about 100 members of the House.
Speaker Kodela Sivaprasad Rao granted mass leave to the members after they made a representation seeking leave to attend marriages in their respective constituencies or within their families.
Even before the holiday the attendance was running thin in the state assembly and council as opposition YSR Congress members were boycotting the House and only the ruling Telugu Desam Party-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance members were attending the session.
In Hyderabad, the demand for wedding halls and priests peaked as thousands of couples rush to tie the nuptial knots with a large number of relatives and friends in tow. The present auspicious phase marks the peak of the marriage season, especially among Hindu families as they believe the days after the weekend will not be good for any such function.
While Hyderabad boasts thousands of event halls and Kalyana Mandapams [wedding venues], demand has created a shortage; a single hall is being used to host more than one wedding ceremony.
Even public buses and trains were running packed as families were travelling to their native areas to attend ceremonies.
The marriage season has seen unprecedented rush in shopping malls and jewellery shops as families queued up to purchase clothes and bridal jewellery. Flower-sellers, especially those making garlands for brides and grooms, are doing brisk business working round the clock. There was also a huge shortage of the music bands, an integral part of any Indian wedding.
