CHENNAI: A critical shortage of commercial LPG cylinders has thrown wedding preparations into disarray across the state, leaving families and catering services scrambling just days before several major auspicious dates.
With weddings scheduled for peak dates including March 15, 16, 25, and April 7, marriage halls and caterers are warning of potential chaos. The lack of cylinders hampers the simultaneous cooking required for large-scale breakfast, lunch, and dinner arrangements, raising the risk of significant delays and disruptions to ceremonies.
As the shortage is impacting restaurants and small food businesses, the effect on the wedding industry is also severe. Families who have already sent out invitations and made commitments for hundreds of guests are now facing the prospect of having to alter their plans.
John Amalraj, President of the Tamil Nadu Marriage Hall Owners Association and the South Indian Marriage Hall Owners Association, emphasised that the issue extends beyond the families getting married.
He said that March has three muhurtham days, while April has seven, during which a large number of weddings are scheduled across the State.
"Across Tamil Nadu, there are about 7,500 marriage halls, most of them air-conditioned. Hence, we cannot switch to firewood-based kitchens instead of LPG. Each marriage hall requires 15 to 20 gas cylinders for every function during the upcoming muhurtham days," Amalraj said.
He noted that thousands of workers, including catering staff, chefs, decorators, electricians, and photographers, depend on the wedding industry for their livelihood.
"If commercial cylinders are not supplied in the required quantity immediately, it will be impossible to conduct weddings as planned. This will not only devastate the families involved but will also create a severe crisis for catering companies and the thousands of daily-wage workers we employ," Amalraj said.
According to the association, around 20,000 marriages have been booked across the State during the next ten muhurtham days, and nearly two lakh commercial gas cylinders will be required to meet the demand.
The association has appealed to Chief Secretary N Muruganandam to intervene and ensure adequate supply of LPG cylinders for marriage halls.
In Chennai, more than 1,000 marriage halls operate under different associations with established LPG connections. Hall owners said switching to firewood-based cooking for catering would affect hygiene and the overall atmosphere of the venues.