J&K bans lavish weddings; Non-Veg dishes reduced to 7

Jammu and Kashmir government today re-announced a number of restrictions to curb what it called the wastage at social, government and private gatherings, especially weddings to prevent wastage of food. Such order is not new in J&K and all earlier such orders were never implemented and even taken note of.

Shrinking the big fat Kashmiri wedding and other opulent functions, the Jammu and Kashmir government has made a new claim that it imposed curbs on expenses, the guest list and dishes to be served on such occasions.

Also, it has put a ban on the use of amplifiers, loud speakers and fire crackers at such events in the state.

“The government issued a Guest Control Order to impose restrictions on the injudicious use of essential commodities during social, government and private functions and a complete ban on the use of amplifiers, loud speakers and fire crackers on such occasions,” an official order said.

“There shall be complete ban on sending dry fruits, sweet packets extra with invitation card by any person to relatives, friends, guests, invitees etc,” reads an order, issued today.

“The number of guests to be invited on marriage of daughter (barat), marriage of son and small functions like engagement of son or daughter and other small functions should be restricted to a maximum of 500, 400 and 100 respectively,” the order said.

Even though there's a practice of serving a number of Wazwan dishes during wedding ceremonies in the state, the government order restricts the number of non-veg, veg dishes to be cooked in such functions to a maximum of seven each and two stalls of sweets and fruits at social gatherings.

For functions like ring ceremony of son, daughter and other small events, the number of guests invited should not cross the hundred mark.

The order restricts the number of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes to a maximum of seven each. Besides, not more than two stalls of sweets or ice cream can be set up.

The order will be applicable from April 1 as the government wanted to give a buffer period of 40 days to people who have already distributed invitation cards.

No plastic or indecomposable material should be thrown in the open and the same should be collected in a separate dustbin and disposed of properly by the host or the organiser, order said.

Besides, the order places a complete ban on the use of big generator sets, high-pitch sound amplifiers, loud speakers, decks, profuse lightning, bursting of crackers in social as well as government functions.