Postponed marriages hit hotel business
All aucpicious programmes deferred in the Godavari districts until next August
By : Sampat G. Samritan
Update: 2015-11-10 07:16 GMT
Rajahmundry: In the aftermath of Godavari Maha Pushkaralu, a section of people are deferring conduct of marriage, house warming ceremony and even to set the stone for construction of new houses until next August in Godavari districts following the age-old tradition that they are not supposed to perform such things until completion of one year after the conduct of Godavari fete.
As Pushkaralu comes every 12 years, the local people nurture a strong belief that they should not carry out any good thing in their families until conduct of Godavari Antya Pushkaralu and accordingly, a large section of people who believe in Drik Sidhantam are scrupulously following it. They maintain that the Godavari Pushkaralu started on July 14, 2015 and until completion of one year by July, 2016, they are unwilling to perform any major good things in their families saying it may not augur well if they do so. This means that they are not going to perform any major functions in their families till August, 2016.
Drik Sidhantha Almanac Writers Association former president Gorthi Pattabhi Sastri said, “Those who believe in Drik Sidhanta and Sastras will certainly avoid conduct of any marriage or function in their families for the good of everyone for a period of one year after conduct of Pushkaralu. However, there is some exemption. With the advent of Uttarayana in Jan. after completion of Dakshinayana, people can perform good things following a auspicious period.”
However, some people who are supposed to perform especially marriages of their children in a hurry for varied reasons are moving out of Godavari districts and reaching the Goddess Kanaka Durga temple in Vijayawada or Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirum-ala or any other place and performing them. Later, they are returning to their homes and performing vratas in local temples.
Deferring major events like marriages and others is having its impact on the hospitality industry and several function halls and kalyana mandapams are not being booked. Hoteliers say that the occupancy rate in their hotels has come down by 20 per cent to touch 60 per cent unlike the normal rate of 80 per cent during this season. The organisers of huge function halls say that as they remain idle for several days, they are incurring loss as they have to pay the staff for their day-to-day maintenance. The Rajamahendri Hotels and Lodges Association executive committee member A. Suresh said, "We are incurring huge revenue loss as a good number of rooms and conference halls are not being booked and we are not getting bulk orders for food."