Adilabad: Wedding industry hit hard by coronavirus

Adilabad: Generally, the month of Shravan is busy due to many wedding ceremonies being organised during this holy month. But, this year due to corona pandemic and social distancing norm not permitting many to gather at one place, people have not been coming forward like they used to, leading to loss income for many.

Earlier about 4,000 to 5,000 weddings took place in the district beginning from the holy month of Shravana until Ganesh Chaturthi. Jewellery shops, garments, clothing stores, grocery stores, function halls and catering companies, and priests, decoration, music band and so many people were employed. But, this year due to the Covid-19 there is no business. People are not coming forward to perform marriages and other good deeds.

Earlier, priests would be busy with marriages and other pujas (good deeds). The priests would have earned good income, depending on the marriage parties, five thousand to twenty thousand on each marriage. Which is enough for them for six months, the lives of priests who are depend on the priesthood, without any other income they become miserable.

In the district there are about four thousand goldsmith families , form the beginning of month of Shravana they had handful of work to do. This year, as there is no marriage, they lost the income. On other side, the prices of gold skyrocketing, at record level Rs 50,000 per 10 grams, people are not coming forward to make any kind of golden ornaments.

Normally people spend Rs 20,000 to 50,000 per wedding on floral decoration, flower merchants would be earning about 10,000 per wedding. This time, there will be no wedding or festivals, with the spread of Covid. Wedding are held with few people and no decorations. Speaking to the media a flower merchant Asmat Ali said that normally, in the month of Shravana they would have earned up to Rs 1.50 to 2 lakh, and this year due the effect of corona not much weddings are performing in the district and all the flower merchants who are depend on the business are facing hardships.