The covid19 pandemic has severely hit the wedding industry of Kashmir with associated businesses incurring heavy losses due to postponement or cancellation of marriages.
Mushtaq Ahmed, who runs a camping agency in Srinagar’s Lalbazar, said there is no business right now. “In every marriage season I would not find time to rest because of the heavy bookings. But since August 2019 there is total slump. I and my workers are sitting idle right now,” he said.
In the wake of pandemic most of the marriages in Kashmir have been cancelled or postponed, and in some cases the functions have been curtailed. It has affected the businesses and services associated with this industry that was already hit by the clampdown imposed in Kashmir owing to abrogation of erstwhile state’s special status in August 2019.
While the service providers most hit include camping agencies, makeup artists, chefs (locally known as wazas), etc. the business segments affected include textiles, jewellers, fabric stores, etc.
“We had received bookings worth lakhs of rupees for shamiyanas (tents), copperware, carpets, etc. for April, May and June and were hoping more bookings after Ramadhan when our business picks up, but unfortunately the covid hit us badly,” Mushtaq Ahmed said.
“The cancellation of functions has affected all our business badly. Many families hold small gatherings and host a handful of relatives which get accommodated in the houses itself and do not require any camping material,” he said.
Nazir Ahmed, a chef from Hazratbal area here said that almost all the marriage feasts have been cancelled due to fear of COVID. “It is almost a year now that our business has not recovered; first it was situation in the wake of the abrogation of Article 370 and now it is the COIVD outbreak, which completely wiped out our business,” Ahmed said.
Young entrepreneurs who run online stores selling bridal apparels, and those associated with make-over business have equally suffered.
Zoha Wani, a makeup artist from Zakura area of Hazratbal said that 80 percent of her bookings for next two months have got cancelled. “I had to refund to my customers. Most people are weary about calling make-up artists to their homes due to fear of COVID.”
Wani who has a team of 2 to 3 people assisting her said: “The business saw a major decline because majority of the functions were cancelled.”
Sana Sheikh, a young entrepreneur running an online and offline garment store in Srinagar said that here business has come down to less than half due to the covid situation.
“I’m not able to cater to my customers who live in districts like Pulwama, Kishtwar and other far off areas. We used to sell a lot of customized dresses imported from Dubai or Pakistan but due to the lockdown we cannot get in the material.”
She said: “Now brides are relying on simpler outfits. As the functions have been reduced and it has affected the overall business related to the party wear garments.”