The coronavirus pandemic has literally changed everything in our lives, from social distancing being the new normal to the way we shop for clothes and have fun in public spaces. The adjustment to every small thing in day-to-day life has become so unique that even marriages have found no-contact mode either to take lifetime vows or collect wedding gifts from the loved ones.
In a similar, yet unusual manner, a couple in Madurai printed QR codes on their wedding invite, ensuring that their guests could transfer cash gifts directly into their accounts, reports said.
Tamil Nadu's traditional crowd-funding feast
In Tamilian marriages, the culture of giving cash gifts or 'Moi Virundhu' to the hosts of any function is prevalent. The tradition requires the family or the host of the wedding to feed the community and is, in return, bestowed with cash gifts by the invitees.
But the guests who attended Siva Sankari and Saravanan's wedding this weekend were bestowed with special option to send the couple monetary gifts by scanning the Google Pay or PhonePe QR code printed on their wedding invites, instead of gifting cash in envelopes, as the tradition required.
Reports stated that giving an enterprising twist to the wedding ritual, especially during the hard times, was a brainchild of the bride, a programme analyst in Bengaluru.
Exchanging gift for digital payment
"About 30 persons had used the QR code facility and gave cash as their wedding present," TJ Jeyanthi, the bride's mother, told IANS. "This is the first time such a thing has been attempted in our family," added Jeyanthi, who runs a beauty parlour in Madurai.
The idea also helped other relatives to transfer cash payments who were unable to attend the wedding function and send gifts to the couple. The wedding has gone viral on social media for such unique method.
"I have been getting many calls on this. Similarly, my brother and others in the family have been getting lots of calls since Monday morning," the mother said.
The wedding industry has undergone several changes ever since the pandemic and stay-at home measures restricted the number of people who could attend the social gathering. The newest culture of 'Zoom weddings' - with a number of couples opting for virtual ceremonies over the internet rather than being physically present at huge gatherings – is a prominent example of the above.
