Virus wreaks havoc on big, fat weddings

Mar 31, 2020, 04.15 AM IST

Coimbatore: S Meenakshi and P Karuppusamy were planning to tie the knot at a marriage hall in Telugupalayam near the city in the presence of more than 1,000 relatives.

But, as the country went under the 21-day lockdown to prevent the spread of Covid-19, the families of the bride and the groom decided to make it a low-key affair. The couple got married on Monday at a temple in Kalampalayam near Perur here in the presence of 15 relatives. Everyone, including the priest who solemnised the wedding, wore a mask.

Though they did not get married in a grand way, they had to accept it as it was for the greater good, the couple said. Thanks to the simple ceremony, the bride’s family was also able to save around Rs 5lakh.

Several marriages scheduled for Monday, an auspicious day, were either held at homes or at temples. D Pushparaj and A Vijayalakshmi got married at a temple in Gandhi Park in the city as did Hari and Nikila, who got hitched at a temple in Chinniyampalayam in the presence of a few close relatives. All of them wore masks.

A Saibaba Colony-based couple, whose families had decided to get them married at a grand event in a marriage hall here, on Monday conducted the simple ceremony at their home in the presence of their parents and grandparents. “We had not anticipated this. But it was a different experience. We have decided to host a reception later for our extended family and friends,” the groom said.