Should Indian weddings become a bit less noisy?

Should Indian weddings become a bit less noisy?

Introduction:

It is a whole new series of festivals in Indian weddings, series because it usually lasts for a whole week at least. The big fat Indian wedding is not an occasion meant for a single day. Western world is left wondering why we need weeks for a wedding. We need to show off. We need to shout our lungs out till the entire city knows someone somewhere is getting married. Yes, we won't call it a wedding unless crackers have been burst to some serious extent leaving the environment hazy with smoke and the DJ would be made to yell his enthusiasm out (on behalf of the families) in a loudspeaker. No wonders in Pune few months back, National Green Tribunals (NGT) was offended and decided to put severe restrictions on live bands, DJ music, band processions on road, crackers and other noisy elements which we happily call wedding celebrations. Shouldn't the entire nation adopt this less noisy wedding celebration curriculum?

Yes:

1. Lets begin with the very day the celebrations begin in Indian weddings, at least a week before the day when the couple actually ties the knot. Sound boxes and amplifiers are installed in every nook and corner of their residence including some on terrace to let the entire area know that their son/daughter is about to get married. Wedding songs, some happy and some melancholic ones play on these sound boxes repeatedly day and night. Yes, we understand that you are happy and this is your idea of creating happy atmosphere in a wedding house but why do you have to force the entire neighbourhood to hear these loud music day and night? Everybody would appreciate if you could keep the sound low and restrict it to your own house.

2. There are students who need to study, elderly people who need to rest peacefully, toddlers who should not be exposed to loud music and above all, people in general need peace of mind. The irony is that everybody goes through the irritation phase when these treacherous noise starts beating trumpets in their heads but perhaps as a part of revenge choose to do the same when it's their time to celebrate. Only strict laws can restrict these crazy hypocrites.

3. You are cursed for a lifetime if by chance a marriage lawn or hall is nearby your residential abode. In Pune and many other cities there are a series of marriage halls in the same area. We shudder to imagine what people living in the locality goes through everytime one of these halls are booked by a bunch of nosey noisy people. People in Pune showed their gratitude towards the interim order and were more than pleased to get rid of the noise. Surely, the entire nation can be happy about it.

4. The entire concept of big fat Indian weddings is very shallow. Parents care not that the two people who are about to tie the knot are complete strangers to each other and are forced to accept what they are being presented with. All they care about is that they need to show the relatives how wealthy they are by beating their own trumpets, not to forget highly noisy ones. This show off must stop and if it cannot be stopped, at least the disturbing nature of the noisy side must be curtailed.

5. The expenses of these big fat Indian weddings have their troll later when both the sides start regretting what they spent lavishly on cracking their own nuts. It also leads to stress and financial distress in some families. The ritual is so entertained that even those families, especially the girl's parents, who are not so rich are driven to waste expenses on such useless stuff. Parents go the extent of taking loans for marriages.

6. Electricity crisis is on rise in our country but in marriages there is excessive usage of electricity usually from not so recounted resources. Even if authorized electricity is used, the area can see huge fall in voltage during wedding seasons. The lightning, music boxes, orchestra, DJ and what not accounts for this crisis so much that neighbours start complaining only to invite anger from those in question.

No:

1. We cannot expect people to give up on traditions and age old rituals to please the younger generations. Celebrating weddings like festivals is also one of the traditions that India has long been following. We cannot ask people of some particular regions to give up on their traditions where the groom rides the mare all the way to the bride's house preceded by procession of dancing relatives. Band, music, and crackers are a part of this traditions which people won't give up.

2. People everywhere have their own way of showing joy, even if the budget is not so fat, the wedding has to be fat in order to live up to the expectations of the society. A girl's parents are not even allowed to mediate their norms, all goes according to what the groom's family proposes. We live in denial that showing off wealth and monetary lavishness will make us seem reputed and honoured members of the community. This has become a necessary evil which cannot simply be put to rest unless everyone is bound by law to do so.

3. Some exceptionally rich families who have all the wealth their coming generations would ever need have the right to spend it the way they. If they think that showing off audibly is one such way of celebrating, they cannot be made to think otherwise. They do it for their own pleasure and for their relatives or whoever they want to show their wealth to. In India people do not really have the authority to stop such families who have all the wealth and superior powers at hand.

4. We might not like the loud music playing on high at weddings after a few hours but another side of the coin is a different one. Small groups of amateur singers and DJs get their platform for exposure and income in these weddings. The overall expenses that people make provides bread to wedding planners and the staff involved. You'll be surprised to know that some of the most renowned singers made their living out of staging their songs in these weddings as struggling beginners.

5. There will be condemnation if such laws are initiated for the entire country. People would start criticizing the government of being anti-traditional. Even if laws will be made, they would not be implemented. There will be exceptions for the powerful and wealthy people. Bribes would start flowing in for permits. In short, nothing in India can stop people so easily to give up on some traditions.

Conclusion:

Indian weddings are becoming contemporary with time. People have started (at least some have) giving up on traditions that can cause havoc in the neighbourhood but there are always exceptionally stubborn and idiotic families that won't even listen if you try to stop them. Indian marriages have wonderful traditions which we should keep up in times to come but the noisy ones are no more being liked and could be done away with. They hold no values, are mostly materialistic show off and usually end up irritating people around them. Such laws like the one initiated in Pune by NGT should be encouraged in the entire country. We can definitely love our traditional wedding style without the noise pollution and nosey relatives who want them desperately.