Following the lockdown to thwart the spread of Covid-19 pandemic, industries across the board have been impacted and suffered losses. The sound dealers and disk jockeys (DJs) in Yamunanagar are no exception.
With no grand weddings taking place this year, the DJ industry had pinned its hopes for revival during Kanwar Yatra that too was called off, like most other events.
With lakhs of devotees, who would otherwise have been preparing to walk barefoot from Yamunanagar towards Haridwar, what will also take a hit is the local DJ business.
Rajan Sahni, 52, has been in sound and DJ business from the last three decades who operates from his office-cum-godown near Bhuria Gate police post in Jagadhari, said, “With wedding bookings down to zero from 200 (per year), we hoped for some business from the annual Kanwar Yatra, which has been called off. The administration has also banned selling or renting of items associated with the yatra.”
He said he has been paying the salary of his employees from his savings and hopes to get some orders for the Navratri festival in October.
{{/usCountry}}He said he has been paying the salary of his employees from his savings and hopes to get some orders for the Navratri festival in October.
{{/usCountry}}There are nearly 300 sound dealers in Jagadhari town and almost the same in Yamunanagar spread till the camp area on Radaur road. Another businessman in the town, Manga Nagpal has too faced the brunt of lockdown and like Sahni, he was also unable to pay salary to his employees and hence was forced to close his shop temporarily.
“I’ve not opened my shop for weeks to at least save my electricity expenses. Like most of my fellows in the business, I too hoped for some revenue from Kanwar Yatra but now that too has been called off,” said Nagpal.