Brides, grooms unable to get wedding attire in Delhi amid lockdown

By Ajit K Jha
New Delhi [India], May 30 : Amid the Covid-induced lockdown in the national capital, brides and grooms are finding it difficult to buy the attire required for a traditional Indian wedding celebration.
As Delhi witnessed a high positivity rate of Covid cases during the last one month, the state government suspended all wedding celebrations in outdoor premises such as banquet halls, resort, and wedding venues. Citizens have been permitted to get married at either their home with a maximum gathering of 20 people or resort to a court marriage.
The number of weddings in the state has significantly decreased since the onset of the second wave of the Covid pandemic in Delhi.
For some weddings that are being held at home, the bride and the groom are finding it difficult to get a wedding dress for themselves, said Suresh Bindal, president Chandni Chowk Traders Parishad.

Speaking to ANI, he said, "Now people who are getting married inside their home and are trying to get their hands on just one dress. The bride and groom try to dress up in cultural clothing for the occasion amid the lockdown."
Suresh Bindal also told ANI that during the period of lockdown, he has received requests from people for arranging a wedding dress for the bride and groom.
"We have received calls pleading to arrange for wedding dresses. On such instances we contact the tailors who can stitch them at home," said Bindal.
"Before the pandemic, people bought at least 10 items of clothing each for themselves and their relatives," he added.
We have been paying our workers and even daily-wage workers, who are finding it difficult to survive in the lockdown.
Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister earlier announced that construction activities and factories have been permitted to operate starting Monday, owing to the decrease in case positivity rate and a daily number of fresh Covid cases.
According to Bindal, the government has permitted them to start construction work for their own good.
Bindal said that the construction work has been permitted even though it causes pollution in the city, but there is no relief for merchants in the clothing trade which does not even contribute to pollution.
Garments shopkeeper Gyan Chand Singhla said that shopkeepers were hopeful that this time the Delhi government would give permission to open shops on the basis of odd-even but that did not happen.
"The condition of the shopkeepers is not good. The staff salary, electricity and water bills need to be paid. It is difficult to bear the burden now," he said.
Delhi on Sunday recorded a further decline in Covid-19 cases. Only 946 new infections were reported in the metropolitan city during the last 24 hours. For the first time since April 13, the number of deaths over a day dropped below 100 - with 78 registered deaths.