Jain community is known for its lavish weddings. For them it's a status symbol and the ceremonies see hundreds of dishes served. For those who have the money to splurge this doesn't pose any problem, but for those who don't, weddings spell anxiety.
The good news however is that the community is waking up to the down side of unnecessary splurging. Jains in Aurangabad district are now adhering to a code of conduct on serving food which was formulated by community leaders. As per the code, only 16 dishes are to be served at a wedding function, irrespective of how rich the families involved are. The unanimous decision was taken at a meeting of 400 community members.
Normally every Jain around is invited when a wedding takes place in the house of someone in the community. The decision of the community heads now is to boycott any wedding where more than 16 dishes are served. They would simply walk out, after blessing the bride and groom.
In Aurangabad there are around 2,500 Jain families, most of them doing business and are affluent. Reportedly, all have agreed to strictly adhere to the code of conduct. Communication in this regards have been issued and displayed on temple notice boards as well.
Last fortnight many weddings took place, and surprisingly all of them followed the code of conduct.
Aurangabad is in Vidarbha region, a drought prone area. And last few years have seen extreme drought conditions here. And in such conditions, people splurging on food during weddings didn't look right to the new generation of Jains in the region. And the code of conduct has its seeds in this awareness.
Aurangabad collector Vikram Kumar Arora said: “It's a welcome move. The Jain community responding to the drought situation in such exemplary manner is appreciable. I have a plan to invite them and handover an appreciation letter for their efforts to create awareness in the society.”
Rajendra Hastimal Chopra, a Jain social worker in Mumbai, said the initiative taken by those in Aurangabad would greatly help the community. “Jains in Mumbai must follow suit. A few community leaders in Mumbai too have raised the issue. Soon the code of conduct would be in place here too.” Chopra added: “My father was a strict follower of community norms. During my wedding about 25 years ago, he even avoided a reception. I and my wife just moved around meeting people and seeking their blessing. We didn't accept any gifts either.
Mahavir Jain, a social worker from Kala Chowkie, said: “The Aurangabad decision is a welcome move. Jains all over should follow it. The money saved can be utilised for some good cause. Some people cannot afford opulent weddings and are forced to borrow. That should become a thing of the past.
Narendra Motilal Kothari, a resident of Mahalaxmi in Mumbai, said “We follow a strict code in my village, Takhatgarh in Pali district of Rajasthan. Everyone from the village, irrespective of social status, has to hold the marriage of their children in the village itself.”
Ashok Jain, a Mumbai resident and native of Pali, said: “In Pali we have been following this code of conduct for the last 20 years. We serve just 11 dishes at the wedding function.”
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