Delhi braces for 20,000 marriages on Sunday

NEW DELHI - For Ritika and Vishal, tying the knot on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya Sunday was a troublesome affair as hunting for a venue, a caterer and a band of their choice was not easy, given that some 20,000 marriages are scheduled to take place in the capital.

“We had a very bad experience while searching for a venue but after much hassle, we managed to find one. But then, we were not able to get the caterer of our choice but we don’t want to miss the opportunity of getting married on such a auspicious day,” Ritika told IANS.

Acharya Mahesh Chandra Shukla of the Chattarpur Mandir in south Delhi said that around 15-000-20,000 marriages are expected to take place on Akshaya Tritiya, one of the most sacred and auspicious days for Hindus.

Pandit Avdesh Kumar Pandey of Birla Mandir said: “It is an auspicious day as marriage or any other new work started this day lasts long and brings prosperity and luck to the household.”

“On Akshaya Tritiya there is no need to consult the stars. Any time of the day is auspicious to tie the knot. Most people want to get married on this occasion since between July and October-end there are only 10-12 days that are auspicious for marriages,” added Kumar.

Many priests also Even pandits admit they are booked for more than one marriage for the day.

No special security arrangements have been made as of now and a senior police official said if any guidelines have to be given, they will be issued late Saturday.

“I would advise people not to park in no parking zone and apart from that the traffic police would be on alert to pick up any vehicle parked in the tow away zone,” Rajan Bhagat, PRO, Delhi Police told IANS.