The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Making the right choice: the choultry, that is

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 17, 2007
ePaper

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Making the right choice: the choultry, that is

Sharath S. Srivatsa

Those booking choultries end up paying exorbitant taxes

BANGALORE: The search for the right choultry had been fraught with anxiety for the family of S. Shylini, whose daughter is scheduled to get married in November. After days of frantic search, she finally managed to book one that suited the family’s needs, but not before negotiating traffic and tension for days.

In a city that has witnessed a spurt in the number of choultries during the last decade, getting the right one still remains a nightmare for families, especially those who have little time between the engagement and the wedding.

“We were actually lucky to get a choultry in Rajajinagar since the family that had booked it for the same date cancelled the booking,” says Ms. Shylini, a resident of Hulimavu.

“The search would begin in the morning, and we actually visited many choultries to check for rooms, cleanliness, cooking space and others, but most were booked,” she said. Though the family preferred Bangalore South, especially in the area around Bannerghatta Road, it was impossible to get one, and finally they settled for a choultry in Rajajinagar.

If Shylini’s family was lucky to get one, many families fail as most halls are booked six to eight months in advance, and some even a year before. Some 10 choultries crop up every year and on an average of 60 to 80 weddings are performed in each, according to Ishwar Bhonsle, publisher of “Kalyana”, a directory of marriage halls.

The scarcity of choultries is also due to the fact that many old and big ones, sitting on prime land, are giving way to other businesses such as software companies, serviced apartments, shopping malls and so on. Owners say high taxes and problems related to maintenance are forcing them to shift their business.

“Apart from high taxes, issues such as labour, security and others have caused problems to the management, which is forcing many to shut down business,” said R.S. Shivayogi, manager of Nijaguna Kalyana Mantapa on Bull Temple Road. In fact, he said, in this situation it is the smaller choultries that are doing well as they get more bookings as they are cheaper, just right for many smaller functions. A leading choultry that has five halls plans to construct a multiplex now, Mr. Shivayogi said.

Cost factor

While getting a good choultry is a triumph in itself, not many realise that they end up paying exorbitant taxes when they book it. While service tax and education cess is 12.2 per cent, a luxury tax of 15 per cent is imposed. For example, for every Rs. 1 lakh that is spent on booking the marriage hall, customers end up paying Rs. 27,200 as taxes.

“Though marriage is a ritual, luxury tax is levied, pushing up the total cost of conducting a marriage,” Mr. Bhonsle said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka