To all the photographers, videographers, cake designers and everyone else involved in the wedding industry, say is say thanks to the heavens that you are not based in Mumbai, India.
The wedding industry there has stalled to a halt as planetary alignments are unfavourable for May and the following three months.
Family priests are advising couples against weddings during this time so has brought a halt the wheels of the entire wedding industry there. This includes over 10,000 service providers in Mumbai engaged in the business of renting out banquet halls, caterers, flower shops, jewellery, honeymoon organisers, bridal sari drapers and hair stylists.
Usually, marriage halls are overbooked in May but this year many haven’t received a single booking for that month.
In a news report in the local DNA newspaper the Siddhivinayak Temple priest Ajit Joshi, said: “According to our panchang (calendar) this year, May is not auspicious to solemnise weddings. The planetary conjunction is not right.”
Politicians in the area were also feeling the impact of cosmic forces. If there is a wedding in the area a minister can’t miss the event so as there was an influx of marriages happening in April politicianshave been rushing to their constituencies to attend functions. As a result, the current budget session saw less than 50% attendance in the budget session.
For brides marrying outside India in the next four months, please don’t be concerned as one of the luckiest days of the millennium in the Chinese calendar falls during this time too (see my blog titled 08/08/08) so it really depends where you are in the world!