Jaipur: It was a dazzling display of band, baaja, and baraat across Rajasthan on Devuthni Gyaras on Saturday, as the state’s vibrant winter wedding season officially began. The sound of dhols, the shimmer of lights, and joyous dancing filled Jaipur’s streets, marking the start of what promises to be one of the busiest wedding weekends of the year.According to those in the industry, nearly 5,000 weddings are scheduled in Jaipur city and its rural areas over the next two days until Sunday, bringing immense cheer to everyone associated with the wedding trade — from planners and caterers to decorators, florists, and band members.By evening, the roads of Jaipur were gridlocked as wedding processions made their way through the city. Grooms, resplendent in traditional attire, were seen riding horseback amid dancing relatives and lively brass bands. Major wedding venues, including five-star hotels, banquet halls, and lawns, were packed with celebrations. Most of Rajasthan’s luxury properties were fully booked, particularly in Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Sawai Madhopur, and Pushkar.“This winter wedding season is extremely hectic. Apart from Jaipur, other destinations including Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Pushkar, and Sawai Madhopur are favourites among those looking for destination weddings,” said Arshad Hussain, a wedding planner. “There are several auspicious dates this month — November 1, 2, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 26, and 28 — and planners have packed schedules throughout.”Another planner, Mohit Sand, added, “Almost every hotel, banquet hall, and marriage lawn in the city is booked. Even wedding bands are handling up to five events a day. In the next two days, Jaipur alone will host about 5,000 weddings.”The city’s main wedding hotspots — the walled city, Ajmer Road, Queen’s Road, and C-Scheme — witnessed heavy congestion on the road as guests hurried between ceremonies.Caterers, too, are racing to meet the soaring demand. “We have at least 10 big weddings planned for Saturday. We hired over 500 extra people to manage them,” said Divya Arora, a Jaipur-based caterer, supervising an elaborate buffet at a wedding.
