Big Fat Kashmiri weddings

AoA dear Reader:)

Today I am gonna share with you a story, so let's get started:

A few days ago I visited a local market with my mom and cousin. While my mom was busy purchasing a few items from a store. Our attention was caught by a beautiful shop ( selling wedding items). I captured a few snaps of the shop on my phone and meanwhile, these boxes caught my attention.

Trendy Dry fruit boxes.

This is a new trend in the market. “Trendy Dryfruit boxes”. Said, my cousin.
It has been ages since I attended a marriage ceremony (introvert u know;) I wasn't aware of the trend. Before we left the shop I clicked a few photos of these dry fruit boxes.
Not because I liked them but instead because I was moved to the core.
“This is extravagance, people are making life hard for themselves,”  I said to my cousin.
Yeah, but what can we do?
I kept quiet.
Back home I was thinking about this matter for 2 whole days, I discussed this with my parents too. Now I want to share it with you, maybe there might be someone who will read this article and will be able to take a stand against these so-called trends. Cause change begins with us.

Weddings have become a burgeoning industry in Kashmir from elegant wedding cards to expensive dry fruit boxes, from huge flowery decorations to sun-dried delicacies from professional singers to grand ceremonies etc  (including cup ceremonies and engagements) everything has become a matter of extravagance.
The reason for late marriages in Kashmir is extravagant weddings. Based on the census data of 30 years, the sociology department of the University of Kashmir puts the percentage of the state's unmarried population at 55% ( numbering 8,97,289) in the age bracket of( 20- 35).
The wedding ceremonies have become commercialised with different rituals like the haldi ceremony, receptions and exchange of gifts (Golden rings and necklaces, suits and copper utensil sets etc)

Copper sets.

Thus in Kashmir, a middle-class family wedding costs 7-10 lakh and the elite class ones 20+ lakhs.
  The extravagance starts with wazwan which contains a large number of dishes ( the number of dishes is above a dozen) and when it comes to the feast for the groom ( Mahraaz saal) it goes above that. 

Wazwan

This extravagance does not stop here, Rani sets, gold coins, make-up artists, mehndi artists, photo shoots and whatnot, are becoming a necessity of such marriages.
It has resulted in a class and status division in society.  The big fat Kashmiri weddings are nothing but a financial burden on families. As  Muslims and the youth of our State, this is our responsibility to make a difference in society by saying no to these useless trends. That is nothing but a financial burden.
Our religion emphasises simple weddings. We must keep that spirit alive.