SRINAGAR, INDIA // When the insurgency was at its height in Indian-administered Kashmir, most weddings were downsized at the expense of the region's traditionally large and lavish ceremonies, which typically involve folk singing, dancing and rich Kashmiri cuisine.
Gunbattles, bombings, protests and the frequently imposed curfews and other security restrictions forced hosts to reduce the number of guests and wrap things up at an early hour, in contrast to traditional ceremonies that could go on for days.
The occasions were sometimes disrupted by the death of a relative or friend in fighting; there were even a number of instances when a groom or bride fell prey to violence hours before they were to be married.
But with the security situation improving in recent years, old ways have returned to Kashmiri weddings. Guest lists are growing once more and ceremonies are being restored to their former opulence.
At the same time, however, that development has meant the re-emergence of a familiar problem for many Kashmiris: how to afford it all. Parents and guardians of thousands of girls of marriageable age have difficulty finding suitable grooms for their daughters because they cannot afford the huge costs involved in getting them married.
This prompted one Kashmiri to launch a crusade against extravagant weddings - and his approach has gained quite a following.
In the summer of 2005, as the security situation started to show signs of improvement and expensive weddings became common once more, Fayaz Ahmed Zaroo set up Humsafar (Companion), a Muslim matrimonial organisation that encourages Kashmiris to swim against the tide and opt for simple weddings that strictly follow Sharia.
As things continued to return to normal over the following years, more and more Kashmiris who found themselves struggling to afford wedding costs turned to Humsafar.
Hundreds of couples have opted for the simpler wedding ceremony promoted by Mr Zaroo's organisation, which also provides a matchmaking service and whose activities are supervised by the Islamic Dawah Centre, a donation-funded institute run by a group of local Islamic scholars.
"More than 4,000 eligible grooms and brides stand registered with Humsafar today as our plea to solemnise the marriages with austerity and in accordance with Islamic Sharia has been widely appreciated, particularly by educated youth," Mr Zaroo said.
He added that extravagant ceremonies were primarily designed as money-making enterprises by catering companies, jewellers and others and had undermined the sanctity of marriage.
The mufti Nazir Ahmed Qasmi, an executive member of the all-Indian Muslim personal law board, a body of prominent Muslims that aims to help Indian Muslims live according to Sharia, is one of a number of Islamic authorities to endorse Humsafar.
"Islam teaches us to perform nikkah, or marriages in the simplest form, without the [financial] impediments we face in Kashmir resulting from the [local] customs," said the mufti, who is also the vice chancellor and head of the department of Hadith at Darul Uloom Raheemiya, Kashmir's largest Islamic seminary.
The mufti said the high cost of marriage - apart from dragging families into debt - often delayed couples from tying the knot and led to a host of problems such as stress, depression, drug addiction, premarital sex, adultery and even rape.
Humsafar also runs counselling sessions for its registered members on how to prepare for marriage and how to live a happily married life, as well as sessions for married couples on how to improve their marriage and overcome any problems.
Mukhtar Ahmed Zargar, 34, who runs a cosmetics store in Srinagar's Chattabal area, is a beneficiary of Humsafar's work. When he heard about the organisation and its programme he visited its office to register - membership is available at a nominal fee of 400 Indian rupees (Dh32). But in conservative Kashmir, matchmaking services, such as those provided by Humsafar, are often stigmatised, and Mr Zargar's parents were not happy.
"When I returned home in the evening I told my parents about it. It enraged my father, while my mother started cursing me. Her worry was that it would stain the family's standing in society," he said.
After a lot of persuasion, however, Mr Zargar's father agreed to visit Humsafar's office to endorse his son's application (which is mandatory). A few months later Mr Zargar found a suitable bride in Fareeda Khan through the group. The two married in August 2007 and are today convinced they made the right decision.
The total cost of the wedding was less than 100,000 Indian rupees, Mr Zargar said. Mrs Khan said that was far less than what her parents had "regrettably" spent on the marriage of her elder sister.
Mr Zargar said a number of his relatives had also benefited from Humsafar's services.
"Later, one of my three sisters, Maimuna, found her groom through Humsafar and my other two sisters, Aarifa and Aabida, are getting married in a couple of months, again owing to it."
Humsafar also encourages divorced men and women, widows and widowers to remarry, which is otherwise uncommon in Kashmiri society.
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The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
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Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Directed by: RS Prasanna
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
The%20specs
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FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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RESULT
Al Hilal 4 Persepolis 0
Khribin (31', 54', 89'), Al Shahrani 40'
Red card: Otayf (Al Hilal, 49')
Afghanistan Premier League - at a glance
Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Fixtures:
Tue, Oct 16, 8pm: Kandahar Knights v Kabul Zwanan; Wed, Oct 17, 4pm: Balkh Legends v Nangarhar Leopards; 8pm: Kandahar Knights v Paktia Panthers; Thu, Oct 18, 4pm: Balkh Legends v Kandahar Knights; 8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Paktia Panthers; Fri, Oct 19, 8pm: First semi-final; Sat, Oct 20, 8pm: Second semi-final; Sun, Oct 21, 8pm: final
Table:
1. Balkh Legends 6 5 1 10
2. Paktia Panthers 6 4 2 8
3. Kabul Zwanan 6 3 3 6
4. Nagarhar Leopards 7 2 5 4
5. Kandahar Knights 5 1 4 2
Company%20Profile
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Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
Thanksgiving meals to try
World Cut Steakhouse, Habtoor Palace Hotel, Dubai. On Thursday evening, head chef Diego Solis will be serving a high-end sounding four-course meal that features chestnut veloute with smoked duck breast, turkey roulade accompanied by winter vegetables and foie gras and pecan pie, cranberry compote and popcorn ice cream.
Jones the Grocer, various locations across the UAE. Jones’s take-home holiday menu delivers on the favourites: whole roast turkeys, an array of accompaniments (duck fat roast potatoes, sausages wrapped in beef bacon, honey-glazed parsnips and carrots) and more, as well as festive food platters, canapes and both apple and pumpkin pies.
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, The Address Hotel, Dubai. This New Orleans-style restaurant is keen to take the stress out of entertaining, so until December 25 you can order a full seasonal meal from its Takeaway Turkey Feast menu, which features turkey, homemade gravy and a selection of sides – think green beans with almond flakes, roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole and bread stuffing – to pick up and eat at home.
The Mattar Farm Kitchen, Dubai. From now until Christmas, Hattem Mattar and his team will be producing game- changing smoked turkeys that you can enjoy at home over the festive period.
Nolu’s, The Galleria Mall, Maryah Island Abu Dhabi. With much of the menu focused on a California inspired “farm to table” approach (with Afghani influence), it only seems right that Nolu’s will be serving their take on the Thanksgiving spread, with a brunch at the Downtown location from 12pm to 4pm on Friday.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
The five pillars of Islam
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
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