The Hindu Business Line : Mother of all weddings

Gulab Kothari, the man who would have been President, doesn't even have the time to think about matters like these. He is planning what will definitely be the State's biggest double wedding. Yes, Gulab Kothari will be celebrating the weddings of both his sons Nihar and Siddharth in late December this year. And for those who like to plan ahead, the Kotharis have sent an elaborate calendar with appropriate reminders as to when one should complete shopping, book tickets, pack bags and get going to Jaipur. Judging from Gulab's immense local clout and popularity, this is definitely going to be the mother of all weddings. And this is only the advance intimation. The formal invitation is yet to arrive. The mind boggles at what it will look like. We can place long odds on the fact that the entire advertising industry (at least the part that counts) will be in Jaipur on December 29.

Devi Pooja

There used to be a time when Ganpati was the only ruling deity in Mumbai, at least when it came to festivals. One talked of Durga Pooja as the time when the Geetanjali Express (Mumbai to Kolkata) would be full of faithful Bengalis rushing home for the "pooja holidays." All that has changed. Mumbai celebrated Durga Pooja with as much fervour as Kolkata would have. And local advertisers had a field day sponsoring the pandals that housed the idols of Durga in all her splendid forms. Is this increased exposure due to the increasing number of Bengalis in Mumbai? A local wag commented that if the advertising and media community is anything to go by, the "Bongs" have really arrived in Mumbai. Combine that with the Dandiya Raas that is normally celebrated with riotous enthusiasm by the large and prosperous Gujarati community in Mumbai, and you had nine days of real celebration.

Festive spending

An A. C. Nielsen report claims that an estimated Rs 844 crore of additional revenue will be earned by FMCG companies in the festive season that lasts from October to November. Well, one can certainly witness evidence of this in Mumbai. The gifting begins with the Ganesh festival, spills over to Dassera and really gets into its full stride in time for Diwali. There might be a slight rest pause after the hectic festivities of Diwali, but then Christmas and the New Year give Mumbaikars the excuse they need to party and exchange gifts. This is the time when everyone from the Indian Merchants Chamber to the DNA organises their annual exhibitions and sales. Happy spending!

Victoria

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