Naveen Raj P
Weddings in Chennai and several parts of Tamil Nadu are witnessing an unusual change as the ongoing shortage of commercial Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) has forced many families to skip the traditional wedding feast, a central element of South Indian marriage celebrations.
In Tamil culture, weddings are often remembered as much for their elaborate meals as for the ceremony itself. The traditional “Kalyana Sapadu”, served on banana leaves, usually includes a wide variety of dishes—from sweets and snacks to multiple rice preparations, curries, and desserts. However, with commercial LPG supplies temporarily reduced to prioritise household usage, several hotels and catering services in Chennai have either limited operations or halted bulk cooking.
“We never imagined conducting our daughter’s wedding without serving a proper feast,” said Ramesh Kumar, a resident of West Mambalam who recently hosted a family wedding.
“Food is our way of showing hospitality to guests. This time we had to keep the ceremony simple because caterers said they did not have enough gas to cook in large quantities.”
Catering businesses across the city say the shortage has significantly affected their work during what is usually a busy wedding season.
Suresh Balan, a catering contractor based in T. Nagar, said the crisis has disrupted the entire supply chain. “Our business depends on wedding orders. Without commercial LPG, cooking for hundreds of guests becomes impossible. Many of our staff members are daily wage workers, and right now they have no work,” he said.
Several families are now conducting weddings with only the ritual ceremonies, tea, or light refreshments instead of the full meal. Some guests say they understand the situation but admit the absence of the traditional feast changes the atmosphere.
“Normally people eagerly wait for the wedding meal,” said Meena Lakshmi, who recently attended a marriage function in Anna Nagar.
“This time there was no feast, just a simple function. Everyone understands the problem, but the wedding definitely feels different without the traditional sapadu.”
Industry observers say the impact extends beyond caterers to vegetable vendors, meat suppliers, dairy dealers and other small traders who rely heavily on wedding-related demand. If the LPG shortage continues for long, many of these businesses could face financial strain.
For now, families in Chennai are adjusting to simpler celebrations, hoping the supply situation will stabilise soon so that weddings can once again be celebrated with their full culinary traditions.