As we are passing through an unprecedented era, thoughts are manoeuvring in old but known lanes. I have termed it “unprecedented” as a clash between socially acceptable norms and a rationale of survival is going on. And ultimately the survival instinct wins. How I wish we need not have to come across this situation to defy the social norms and live amicably without being judged. In this context, I feel privileged enough to have been brought up in a family where I could freely question many of the norms and was given all the freedom to choose on my own to follow them or not.
One fine day I was having a telephonic discussion with one of my school friends on businesses which will stand through the test of all times . The instant answer was “Weddings”.Recession,wars,high unemployment : nothing can stop people from getting married. Human beings are social animals and to solemnise this phrase we have weddings. In India, it is considered the most important event after one has started trodding on a career path. At one phase, it is considered “the most” important thing of life. Well, my focus here is not to discuss the dimensions of this social phenomenon but to unearth things which were earlier not considered normal.
Let’s take a macroscopic look at how this whole “Wedding” unfurls. In our culture, traditions play a very crucial role. After a girl and a boy attain a certain age, the whole world begins its search for the perfect “better half”. In fact, sometimes it becomes the sole point of discussion at all gatherings that you detest attending any of them. After many permutations and combinations, the soul is identified. Almost all of my friends have gone through this situation and some are still going through. Sometimes I wonder if the whole reason for getting married at a certain age is to bring in the next generation to existence. That’s all. The future generation becomes suddenly so important and all sorts of selection methods are used to get the best match to make it happen. And while doing all this we miss out on the bigger picture: Are we doing enough to create a safe society where creative thoughts will flourish, where questions by the future generation would be answered with logic, an environment which will be happy to accommodate another new member?
Weddings have to happen with a large gathering of people. One has to invite all acquaintances, neighbours and many more to ensure the social status is taken care of. Arrangements for the guests are to be done, cards have to printed, the venue has to be decided and so on. And wherever we have a large gathering, we have a business opportunity. So the idea of businesses related to weddings being the most economically sustainable popped up. In a wedding, we have caterers, decorators, transporters, hoteliers etc. etc. The list is endless. And not to forget the matrimony portals and advertisements in newspapers. They are the starters; times are changing though.
A Bollywood movie named “Band Bajaa Baraat” revolved around the theme of wedding planners and event managers. After watching the movie, my thoughts were strengthened that this is “the best and most sustainable business of all times“. Little did I know that a disruptive phenomenon was waiting to challenge my thought process.
The disruptive phenomenon which has shaken many beliefs, traditions and the economy is the arrival of novel COVID-19. With its arrival, weddings were cancelled and postponed. Anxiety geared up as to how weddings will happen without grand celebrations. After the initial cancellation, a slight relief was given with weddings being allowed limiting the number of guests to 50. Here comes the irony. Earlier people who used to exchange vows for the journey of togetherness in the presence of a small number of guests were mocked at. Nobody in normal times would approve of such a ceremony. And now its the new mandated norm. Minimalism is the new normal. The sooner one gets used to it, the better one’s life would be.
Thus marriages will happen in the presence of the dearest ones and I bet it would be worthy to have a ceremony where people emotionally connected to you will be there to bless you. But in order to find out those people who will fit into this magical number “50” is going to be a strenuous task. In a way, God has given the opportunity to identify people whose presence matters to you most. So I believe the societal norms need to be changed and human beings need to emphasize on the quality rather than the quantity. Grandiose will be replaced by simplicity and the money thus saved can be used for some good cause. Trust me, this is the best time to practice your long-cherished dream of a small, beautiful and simple wedding.
“Small is beautiful” is an apt phrase in this context. While browsing the web, I found its a phrase which originated in the book titled” Small is beautiful: A study of economics as if people mattered” by E.F.Schumacher. I haven’t read the book but I am definitely going to do it as it resonates with my thoughts.
Musings 
So meticulously described. I remember we both were so concerned about the humongous weeding expenses and your writing takes to the journey of reminisce and reincarnation of the traditions to a new facet of economic misery.
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