Only shaadi, no barbaadi

Ajay Munot, a city-based real estate advertising executive, launches campaign to convince youth to shun conspicuous spending during weddings; served just tea and khari during his own shaadi

Only shaadi, no barbaadi

Ajay Munot, a city-based real estate advertising executive, launches campaign to convince youth to shun conspicuous spending during weddings; served just tea and khari during his own shaadi

This Independence Day, Ajay Munot, a Pune-based real estate advertising executive, with support from an NGO wants to encourage professionals and youngsters to marry the simple way and not to succumb to social pressures and have a grand ritzy-glitzy wedding.

Mass wedding
Ajay said, "As part of a nation-building programme, I have come up with a mass wedding concept on August 15 where brides and grooms from any religion, state, and language can get married under one roof."

The wedding will be held in Pune and Ajay is already looking for a suitable hall. "There will be a registrar instead of pandits or priests." The theme promotes the freedom to save time, money and energy that go into organising huge weddings, and also the freedom from ubiquitous bands and loud speakers."

Family pressure
Ajay added, "Prospective couples must contact me and I will arrange the mass wedding. Since this is not the wedding season, I have just one couple, but I hope to get at least five."

He believes that while some people are interested in a no-frills wedding, they are convinced otherwise by society-conscious family members. Ajay got married in a simple ceremony on January 11 and the first wedding he organised was for his friend Yogesh Baldota from Pune who married a Mumbai girl Sonal in 2006.

Sonal said, "Yogesh and I got married in our home in Pune in 2006. It was a one-hour wedding and guests were served tea and khari biscuits." She is now a tuition teacher in Pune.

"I was under a lot of pressure from my relatives to have a big wedding. They said why go in for such a concept, when you can afford a big bash? But my mother supported me," she said.