By IANS
Ranchi : Indian marriages are usually glittery affairs with people trying to outdo one another by throwing lavish parties. But that’s not quite the case in Jharkhand, thanks to the high prices of gold, flowers, other wedding essentials and caterers.
In the last three years, the prices of all the things that go into the making of a wedding have almost doubled in the state. For instance, the price of 10 gm of gold was Rs.5,500 at the beginning of 2005 but has now gone up to Rs.11,000.
Rabindra Sahay, whose daughter is getting married shortly, said: “I had planned to make 150 gm of gold ornaments for my daughter. But due to rising prices I have decided to buy only 90 gm. “We have also requested the father of the bridegroom to restrict the number of people in the marriage party due to the high cost of catering.”
Tent facilities that were available for Rs.10,000-20,000 now cost around Rs.20,000-30,000.
“The cost of tents has increased. In each marriage, the tents get damaged. We compensate by raising the prices,” said Vinay Sinku, the owner of a tent house here.
The cost of decorating reception halls and wedding canopies used to be around Rs.20,000 to 25,000 but it has now soared to Rs.40,000-60,000.
Music bands, which are a must for wedding processions, could be hired for Rs.10,000 in 2005 but now cost Rs.25,000 to 30,000. The price of an orchestra to entertain wedding guests has also increased from Rs.12,000 to between Rs.30,000 and Rs.40,000, said Rezi Dungdung, a member of the Chhota Nagpur Band Party here.
Catering charges have also doubled. Three years ago, the catering charge per plate was between Rs.90 and Rs.220. Now it has increased to between Rs.160 and Rs.400.
Chandrashekhar Pandey, whose daughter’s wedding is scheduled for later this year, said: “My salary has increased by just 20 percent but the marriage expenses have doubled. We have to make compromises on many fronts to manage the budget.”