The marriage season is here with a bang, accompanied by traffic jams and more. With approximately 20,000 marriages scheduled between November 21 and December 3, the people of Delhi are bracing themselves to face the resultant traffic mazes, fireworks, loudspeakers and foot stomping baraats. The rush to get married in this period is understandable since the period between December 3 and January 19 is believed to be inauspicious for marriages.

Delhiites going through their usual daily routines find it difficult to navigate through the fearsome traffic snarls, especially near the marriage venues. The traffic police, however, claim to be prepared to tackle the situation this year. The banquet hall and farmhouse owners have been briefed to make necessary arrangements for parking which usually interrupts the traffic every year. They’ve also been asked to arrange for private security personnel to assist in parking. The traffic police have requested residents to follow the directions given and pool cars if they are going to the same marriage venue.

The city experienced considerable chaos after the Supreme Court’s order to shut the banquet halls operating in residential areas last year. Well-off families with access to large bungalows and five star hotels managed to conduct their wards’ marriages smoothly, whereas the middle class families faced the real space crunch. A five star wedding usually costs around Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 2,000 per guest, which adds up to almost Rs. 5 lakhs for hosting about 200 people. This year, the marriage venues as well as other services are booked in advance to ensure a smooth and memorable marriage function.

Another natural fall out of the marriage rush in Delhi is evident in the rise in gold prices, which was strong even otherwise due to the weak dollar as gold is seen as a safe investment today. There is very strong demand for gold among jewellery manufacturers to meet the marriage season demand, which has led to the firming up of gold prices.