Click to play videoAnantnag: It's a big day for Mazoor Ahmed Gania and his bride Roshan Jan. They are getting married but at their wedding, all that will be served to the groom's side is a cup of saffron kehva, kashmiri roti and dates.
Yes, this is Kashmir and this is where traditionally, the hundred-odd guests from the groom's side are served 20 meat dishes (and more than 30 in affluent households).
In fact, the traditional Kashmiri wedding is so extravagant that there was a point in time when the government had to step in and say that ceremonies must become more frugal, otherwise poor families would be ruined.
Aiding the government in its quest of ensuring frugal weddings, a local marriage counseling cell, Hamsafar, is planning to conduct 300 frugal marriages - like that of Roshan Jan and Mazoor Ahmed Gania - in the next 12 months.
Hamsafar charges only Rs 200 per wedding and that too for serving plates of dates, nikaah (marriage) paper and stationary paper.
The nikaah itself is performed in a local mosque in full public view. A Hamsafar marriage means no lavish meals or ostentation.
The groom Manzoor Ahmad Gania, is extremely happy with this concept of saving and frugality.
"People spend lakhs and crores on marriages, which is completely needless. More people should follow a frugal path. There are 40,000 Kashmiri girls who have crossed the right age to be married as their parents can't marry them off as they have spend a lot of money. I think just a cup of tea can do," says he.
Marriage in the time of militancy has another fallout. There are fewer and fewer men.
Potential grooms are hard to come by and brides' parents face a tough time in securing a match for their daughters.
If parents want a man without any militant connection whatsoever, then it is almost impossible to find a match.
Says Roshan Jan, "I am lucky I got a good groom. The Kashmiri society is so plagued with social evils and I know many girls can't marry because marriage incurs lot of money.''
According to assistant professor sociology at Institute of Management and Public Administration, Khursheed-ul Islam, Kashmiris spend too much money on feasting and on voluntary dowry.
He says, "Unfortunately, austere marriages - complete with dowry and extravagant functions - are taking place in affluent classes and not in poor households. I feel all classes should follow this.''
However, more and more people are now converting to austere style marriages so that in this time of militancy and unrest, wasteful expenditure can be avoided.
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