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Getting married on Jan 22? Alas! wedding bands in Delhi are overbooked that day
Several wedding bands have been booked in order to perform devotional songs and bhajans, adding to the festive spirit.
Traditional wedding bands are getting ready in Delhi for a bustling day on January 22, as numerous celebratory events are scheduled at temples across the city to commemorate the Ram Temple inauguration ceremony in Ayodhya.
Chairman of the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) Brijesh Goyal stated that over 1,500 events are scheduled across Delhi, encompassing temples, societies, markets, and communities, leading up to and on the day of the consecration ceremony. He said, “There has been a surge in demand for music groups and people who perform 'Sundar Kand' and Dharmik Paath due to the wedding season and 'Pran Pratishtha'.”
For these programmes, several wedding bands have been booked in order to perform devotional songs and bhajans, adding to the festive spirit.
These celebrations align with the commencement of the wedding season in Delhi, resulting in wedding bands receiving numerous booking requests, exceeding their typical seasonal load. Despite the surge, they are making efforts to accommodate all requests, PTI reported.
Jea Band owner Satya Anil Thadani told PTI, “This year has witnessed a substantial increase in the demand for dhol, and band, baaja due to 'Ram Barats' being taken out. We will start our day at 4 am. Both small and large bands are preparing.”
He added that the company has divided the members of the band into small teams so the requests for January 21 and 22 events can be accommodated. “This year has seen a 50-60 per cent rise in the demand for wedding bands.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to perform the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony at the Ram temple on Monday.
In preparation for the event, band members, typically associated with playing wedding songs, are now gearing up to perform devotional songs in honour of Lord Ram.
Thadani said, “We are fully booked due to the significant event. We are practising special songs for the day. Performers are preparing to play the popular bhajan 'Ram Aayenge to Angana Sajaungi', and special dhol beats during the aarti.”
On that day, Jea Band members are set to don saffron-coloured uniforms for the occasion.
A dhol wallah, set to perform at a temple, mentioned that they would play instruments during the aarti and are curating a special playlist of bhajans and kirtans. Likewise, the Madan Band Baaja group is too gearing up to perform religious songs dedicated to Lord Ram and Lord Hanuman.
Ajay Prakash Sharma, owner of a wedding band, noted that musical groups were experiencing a shortage of members due to the date clash. He told PTI, “We are adding more people to the group as the location of events are also far from each other. We have made teams of six, 10, and 15 people.”
Member of the Chauhan Band Naushad told PTI about being fully booked for weddings and other events on January 21 and 22. He said, “During the same time last year, we got bookings for just one or two weddings. But this year's Ayodhya ceremony has brought a lot of work to us.”
The Sadar Bazaar Traders' Association is among those that have secured a wedding band for January 22. Rakesh Kumar Yadav, President of the Federation of Sadar Bazar Traders Association, expressed their anticipation for the upcoming day.
He said, “We aim to create the best atmosphere in the market, where the streets will be filled with sounds of devotional songs and bhajans. We have booked a band for the day. We aim to celebrate the joy, ensuring we don't miss out on anything.”
