Festivals and Weddings During Corona Pandemic in India

Each festival in India has different rituals which are followed with piety in every family but the pandemic warranted some compromises on the traditions. Likewise, a marriage is a beautiful bond between two families where a lot of traditional customs are followed. The wedding ceremonies are colourful and celebrations may extend for several days. People in India spend a lot of financial resources to prepare and celebrate weddings. The bride's and the bridegroom's homes are fully decorated with colours, balloons and other decorations. The wedding rituals and celebrations vary by religion, region, preference and the resources of the bridegroom, bride and their families. They can range from one day to multi-day events. But the Covid-19 pandemic situation changed the mind-set of people over ceremonies. The study looked into: how the pandemic shattered the expectations of people celebrating; problems faced economically by people/service providers who benefited from the celebrations; and identified the alterations made in the rituals or the cultural practices for the safety of families. The study employed survey and visual ethnographic methods to collect data. The study found that during the complete lockdown, people had not bought new clothes, sweets, or snacks, as they generally do before the pandemic. Almost all of them kept their celebrations low-key, and some did not celebrate at all. Digital media played a role in keeping the celebration alive, as people used it to wish their friends and families virtually. During partial unlock, the situation was under control, and people began to go out and meet relatives and friends. They went shopping and bought new clothes and needs, but they did it while following safety precautions. There was also an equal percentage of people who shopped online. Although people continued to remain disappointed, they were less stressed as life was returning to normal.