Thousands tie knot on Delhi’s night of weddings
NEW DELHI: The national capital witnessed a wedding overload because the stars aligned for the first time this season after an almost four-month-long run of not-so-auspicious days, according to astrologers and wedding planners, who estimated that 18,000-20,000 pairs tied the knot on a frenetic Monday.
It was the first of only four “most auspicious” days for Hindu weddings before the end of the year, and led to the usual Delhi mix of baraats on the road, wrongly parked vehicles and traffic jams. As usual, the areas dotted with farmhouses and banquet halls – Chhattarpur, Mehrauli, GT Karnal Road, Kapashera, Alipur road, Punjabi Bagh, Raja Garden Lakshmi Nagar, and National Highway 8 – were the worst affected. Astrologers say the other three “most auspicious days” remaining this season are December 11, 12 and 13. Ashutosh Mishra, a wedding planner, said there were nearly 20 “most auspicious" days between November and December last year, compared to the four this season – a factor that forced several couples to push their wedding date to early next year. The Delhi Traffic Police said it was geared to reduce snarls, but was banking on cooperation from residents. “We have conducted a study of gatherings expected at all wedding venues and deployed our staff accordingly,” said Alok Kumar, joint commissioner of police (traffic).
“But we will need motorists to park only at designated spots and commuters to share transport,” he added. The police have positioned cranes at multiple spots to tow away wrongly parked vehicles.