Law Kumar Mishra
Patna: Hundreds of Dawat e Waleema in Srinagar scheduled till next week have been cancelled due to the disturbed situations in the Kashmir Valley. Invitations sent to the friends and relatives outside Kashmir have been withdrawan and invitees being informed bout cancellation of the marriage and nikah ceremonies .
This is the peak marriage season among Muslims in Kashmir. awat e Waleema is hosted for the guests during marriage parties when mutton preparations of different varieites are offered to the guests on a big plate which is shared by five guests,be it Hindu or Muslim.
Local newspapers of Srinagar are full of classified advertisements daily informing people about cancellation of he Waleema dawat , marriages and Nikahs. Residents who had booked farm houses at Rawalpora, Buchpooram, Sanat Nagar, Karanagar, Soura, Fateh Kadal, Dourpoora, Budshah colony have cancelled the bookings till July 20. All canellation notices claim due to the disturbed situation in the Valley marriages are cancelled and inconvenience caused is regretted.
A retired engineer of Jammu and Kashmir government, whose daughter had studied in a private dental college in Darbhanga, too had hosted a Dawate- e Waleema on July 15 and July 16 at Srinagar. It too has been cancelled.
During the peak of militancy in 90s, the grooms were welcomed by women from bride’s side with songs which compared them with the then notorious militants. Earlier, they were compared with Emperor Akbar or Jawahawar Lal Nehru. Kashmiri marriages are far more expensive than Bihari wedding ceremonies, both in terms of dowry, decorations and food.