SRINAGAR: As autumn casts its golden hue over the Kashmir Valley, the highly anticipated wedding season has arrived, bringing with it a flurry of festivities that will continue over the next two and a half months. With hundreds of marriages scheduled, the streets of Srinagar are alive with decorated homes, bustling markets, and unmistakable signs of celebration.
In the heart of Srinagar, markets are abuzz as families prepare for weddings by shopping for essentials such as suits, gold, spices, and other ceremonial items. This surge in activity provides a significant boost to the local economy, with businesses thriving during this festive period.
“The demand for wedding outfits, especially traditional attire, has soared,” said a local tailor from Srinagar’s Lal Chowk. “We’ve been working around the clock to meet orders, and it’s one of the busiest times of the year for us.”
While the city remains a focal point for wedding festivities, the rural parts of Kashmir follow their own rhythm. November marks the preferred time for weddings in villages, as the agricultural season, including fruit harvesting and rice cutting, wraps up. This allows villagers to turn their attention to grand nuptial preparations, ensuring that weddings in rural areas are celebrated with just as much splendour as in the city.
A hallmark of Kashmiri weddings is the elaborate Wazwan feast, a multi-course banquet featuring up to 30 dishes, most of which are mutton-based. Professional chefs known as wazas spend entire nights preparing the feast over firewood, ensuring the flavours are rich and traditional. “Meat consumption is massive during these celebrations, with hundreds of kilos of mutton required for each wedding,” said Nasir, a butcher from Srinagar’s Nowhatta area. “This is our busiest time of year, with families buying meat daily for their Wazwan feasts.”
For many, weddings in Kashmir are not just family affairs but community-wide events. Mohammad Aslam, a resident of Khaniyar, is currently preparing for his daughter’s wedding and is grateful for the availability of government-built marriage halls. “These halls have been a huge relief, especially for families like ours where accommodating guests at home is a challenge,” he said. However, the increasing demand for these halls has prompted calls for the government to construct more of them. “The government should build more marriage halls across the region so everyone can benefit,” Aslam added.
Beyond the immediate families, Kashmir’s wedding season fuels various sectors of the economy. From decorators tasked with transforming venues into stunning visual displays to caterers preparing elaborate meals, the season provides vital income for many. “Weddings are a lifeline for us,” said a local waza. “We earn most of our livelihood during this season, which helps us sustain through the rest of the year.”
Beauty salons and grooming parlours also experience a surge in demand as brides, grooms, and guests seek to look their best for the occasion. “Our bookings are full for the next two months,” said Firdous, the owner of a popular salon in Srinagar. “Bridal makeup, henna designs, hair styling—everyone wants to look perfect for the big day, and we cater to the entire wedding party.”
This demand extends beyond just the brides and grooms, with salons offering special grooming packages for both sides of the family. These services often include haircuts, beard styling, and skin treatments, ensuring that everyone is camera-ready.
Adding a unique flavour to Kashmir’s wedding scene is the growing trend of destination weddings at Dal Lake. The serene waters, houseboats, and the majestic backdrop of the Himalayas have made it a sought-after location for couples from outside the region. Many non-locals now opt for intimate ceremonies on beautifully decorated houseboats or shikaras, creating a picturesque setting for their special day.
This influx of destination weddings has further invigorated the local economy, benefiting event planners, boat owners, and vendors. “Kashmir’s beauty is showcased to the world during these weddings, and it brings more business to us,” said a local event planner who specialises in Dal Lake weddings.
As Kashmir prepares for the coming months of nuptials, the wedding season remains a celebration not just of love but of the vibrant cultural traditions of Kashmir, all while offering a significant economic boost to local businesses. (With KINS inputs)
