Srinagar, Nov 13 (KNO): With Kashmir's wedding celebrations increasingly turning into "a competition" over food, spending and social status, religious leaders across the Valley on Friday called for a return to simpler marriages and the traditional "seven-dish Wazwan."
Backing the Kashmir Waza Association's decision of not serving wedding dinners after 10 pm, prominent religious scholars told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the move is a welcome step, but more needs to be done to discourage unnecessary customs, excessive spending and the growing trend of families trying to outdo one another through elaborate wedding feasts.
Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir Dr Moulvi Mohammad Umar Farooq, addressing the congregation at the historic Jama Masjid Srinagar, welcomed the Association's decision, saying it is a positive step towards bringing discipline and simplicity to wedding celebrations while respecting the dignity and hard work of the Waza community.
He assured the Association of the full support of the Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema for its efforts towards social reform. "Much more needs to be done to address growing extravagance, unnecessary additions to wedding customs and competitive displays of wealth that have placed a financial and social burden on families," he said, urging people to preserve the beauty of Kashmiri traditions while doing away with wasteful practices.
Grand Mufti of Jammu and Kashmir Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam Farooqi appreciated the measures taken by the Waza community to improve Wazwan arrangements, ensure punctuality and maintain discipline and tradition. He urged people to keep the number of Wazwan dishes and other arrangements moderate and make Nikah simple, dignified and easy, and called upon religious scholars and Imams to ensure that Nikah ceremonies were conducted within reasonable timelines. "Our traditions and cultural values are our identity, but they should not become an obstacle in performing an important Sunnah like Nikah," he said.
Maulana Riyaz-ul-Haq Noorabadi, Imam and Khateeb at the historic Aasar-e-Shareef Dargah Hazratbal, also welcomed the decision, saying it will have a positive impact on society, and called for simple Nikah ceremonies.
Aga Syed Hadi, a Shia religious scholar, called the decision a welcome step and urged the Waza Association to issue a memorandum recommending a limited number of dishes, saying the responsibility of bringing change should not be left entirely to the public. "Our society may not understand on its own. The Waza Association should take the initiative. We traditionally had seven dishes in Wazwan, and we should return to that practice," he said.
Dr Abdul Latif Alkindi, president of Jamiat Ahle Hadith, Jammu and Kashmir, termed the decision a welcome and positive step, saying it should be supported by everyone. He said late-night wedding functions also affect the sleep and routine of guests, religious scholars and Imams, and called for simpler ceremonies.
The calls for change have also found support among residents.
Sahil Shafiq, a resident of Habba Kadal, Srinagar, said people should support the initiative, adding that weddings had increasingly turned into a competition over the number of dishes served. "Whenever someone organises a wedding, there is a competition. If one family serves a certain number of Wazwan dishes, another wants to serve even more," he said.
Shaziya Nazir, a resident of Soura, said several new additions had changed the way Wazwan was served at weddings, with unusual food preparations and elaborate presentations becoming part of wedding feasts.
On November 11, the Kashmir Waza Association announced a new arrangement under which Wazas and host families would "sign a bond" before weddings, committing themselves to follow the prescribed guidelines.
The Association also fixed 10 pm as the deadline for concluding wedding dinners and called for greater punctuality. The new arrangement is scheduled to be implemented from the next wedding season—(KNO)