JAIPUR:Lakhs of jobs have been lost in Udaipur, the so called wedding destination of India, with the cancellation of around 12, 000 weddings in last two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Around 12, 000 weddings have been cancelled in Udaipur in the wake of COVID-19 crisis in last two months thereby incurring a huge loss to many industries including wedding industry, hotel industry and electronics market among many others. Besides financial loss, job loss is yet another concern in this city of lakes, " said M Square Productions & Events CEO Mukesh Madhwani.
"On an average, one wedding in this city earns livelihood for 200 people. Now, with 12, 000 weddings getting cancelled, the result is very much serious with lakhs of people losing their earning opportunity, " he said.
Recently, Udaipur in Rajasthan has emerged as a new hotspot with 214 COVID-19 cases out of which 32 cases were registered on Tuesday. Till May 8, these cases were limited to 22 however on May 12, this figure stands at 214, said Additional Chief Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh.
Eventually, it seems that the people of the city as well as others dreaming to tie the knot in this wedding destination will now have to wait for long, said Madhwani.
"Those who had weddings planned in May had already cancelled their bookings. Although there are a few dates available in June last week, but they are limited in number, Further, there won't be any decent date for wedding till next four months from July onwards (it being considered as ‘chaturmas' in Hindu calendar). The couples therefore will have to wait for next few months for their weddings, " said Pandit Satyanarayan Chebisa.
According to him, there are a few dates available in November and December months. However, with no clarity ahead in terms of corona affect, the families planning to host lavish weddings have curtailed their plans.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Electronic Trade Association divisional advisor Ramesh Shah said that Udaipur division has sustained a loss of over Rs 10 crore due to cancellation of these weddings. It has also hit hard the earnings of small traders, street vendors among many others.
Besides this, those engaged in tents, catering, grocery, gardens, hotels and travel industry have also sustained a huge loss, he added.
With no bookings in hand as of now, it seems the entire year shall pass dry for those engaged in the wedding industry thereby bringing tough days ahead for those earning their livelihood from it, said Madhwani.