Weddings in Hyderabad Blend Tradition With Extravagance From Other Cultures
Hyderabad: The wedding season is in full flow again, albeit with the twist of melting pot cultures, with an appropriation of ceremonies from other cultures blended with traditions to make the day, or sometimes two to three days, a lavish affair.
While the main ceremonies mainly remain traditional, with indigenous rituals, pre-wedding and post-wedding events are making the events a day to remember with exorbitant dress codes, decorations, themed photography and multicuisine food.
Families hosting weddings say they are obligated to do so, because of the younger generation of brides and grooms wanting the make their wedding day special, besides to show one’s social standing.
Parents of brides and grooms Deccan Chronicle spoke to, while reluctant to share the cost of weddings, said that they hosted several events that they never had in their culture or tradition due to new trends surfacing on the internet.
Prof. D. Ravinder, vice chancellor of Osmania University, whose son Nikhil Yadav got married on Thursday, said: “Children (bride and groom) came up with their demands. They are the ones who decided how their wedding has to be. We have arranged ‘mehendi’, ‘sangeeth’ and ‘haldi’ functions, which we never had in our culture. Our children are inclined towards the new trends.”
An event that caught public attention was the wedding of Noorah, the daughter of Nawab Mir Najaf Ali Khan, a grandson of H.E.H. Nizam VII. The invitees to the event included British Deputy High Commissioner Gareth Owen, Consulate General of Turkey Orhan Alman, Brunei High Commissioner Dato Alaihuddin, Mexican industrialist Rodrigo Perez and Indian politicians.
Najaf Ali Khan said, “Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi were supposed to attend the wedding, but were not able to due to some prior commitment. We made sure the wedding is all in royal style. We saw to it that guests got the feel of lavish ethnic arrangements and food.”
Puribi Mahapatra of Quick Marriages Private Limited, said, “The first thing families are looking for are event mangers, who come with various concepts. There is no limit to imagination if they are ready to spend. We have seen brides entering on palanquins and even falling from the sky.”
Puribi’s associate Vanaja Rao said, “On one side, there are weddings that are cocktails with continental, while on the other side, there is a highly south Indian tradition, with food served on banana leaves. Some weddings have a separate stage with puppet shows, Burrakatta and traditional events.”
Poorna Chender Rao and Katepalli Gangaiah, wedding card dealers at General Bazaar, said:
“Quantity of cards have gone down in distribution, whereas expensive concept cards are opted for. The cards are made as boxes having gifts in them. which are even costing up to Rs.10,000 each. There is demand for creativity, with many opting for eco-friendly materials.”
