MANGALURU: For Catholics in Mangaluru, the curfew couldn’t have come at a worst time as a majority of weddings in the community takes place in December. The Christmas month sees the Mangaluru expats returning home for their annual holiday during which they plan weddings, get-togethers, house-warming ceremonies and other such events.
This time around, most of their plans have gone haywire forcing them to postpone or make modifications in the celebrations. J Mascarenhas, a resident, had to shift his daughter Samantha’s wedding from a marriage hall in Bendoorwell to the groom’s house in Kudupu on Saturday because of the prohibitory orders. “Since Kudupu is a bit on the outskirts, we thought it’s better to shift it there instead of Bendoorwell which is within the core area of the city. Also, we had to cut down on the food orders,” said a relative of the bride.
Pradeep Mendonca, a resident of Bejai, and whose engagement is scheduled on Saturday is a worried man. Though the lifting of curfew during the day has come as a big relief to the groom who works in Qatar, his family is finding it difficult to get the flowers required for the ceremony. “How can we go to the bride’s house for engagement without flowers?” asked Ruth, a worried mother.
In a roce (mehendi) ceremony of Velani Mascarenhas that took place in Derebail Church ground on Friday evening, the turn up was not even half of what was expected by the organisers. A relative of the bride said they got permission from the authorities to go ahead with the event with much difficulty. “Luckily it was a bit away from the central part of the city.
Or else, I was not sure whether we could hold the event,” he said.
Sources said the prohibitory orders have also taken the ‘kick’ out of Catholic pre-wedding ceremonies where liquor is served. However, the Hindu community is not affected much as the weddings are not organised now because the season is considered inauspicious till Sankranti.Yashwanth, a caterer, said at least six house-warming ceremonies and birthdays scheduled in the last three days were cancelled because of curfew.