The Vaishya Agrawal community in Palwal has banned pre-wedding photo shoots, DJs and liquor stalls at weddings, and has also scrapped the death feast (mrityu bhoj) in a bid to curb extravagant spending on social functions.The decisions were taken at a mahapanchayat of the community held late on Jattvibeday evening. Members from Faridabad, Gurugram and Delhi joined those from Palwal. Eight resolutions were adopted.The move carries weight because of who is making it. The Agrawal community in and around Palwal, including the Vaishya Samaj of Palwal, is made up largely of wealthy merchants and is known for grand weddings. In recent years, many families have gone further and opted for expensive destination weddings.The meeting was led by Balram Gupta, convener of the forum and a former municipal councillor. He said many customs had turned into displays of wealth and were adding to the financial burden on poor and middle-class families.The mahapanchayat barred the boy and girl from going out together before the wedding and prohibited pre-wedding photo shoots.Loud DJ music will not be allowed at wedding ceremonies. Music inside banquet halls will be played within the sound limits set by the government.Liquor stalls will no longer be set up openly at wedding functions. To cut food waste, the number of dishes will be capped at 21 to 31. The community also decided to promote daytime pheras and weddings instead of night ceremonies to avoid unnecessary expense and inconvenience.Instead of printing expensive invitation cards and sending sweets or gifts with them, families will be encouraged to invite guests through WhatsApp messages and phone calls. The total number of guests, counting both sides, will be limited to 300-400.The community decided to stop the death feast entirely. It also agreed to reduce the number of sheets placed on the bier during cremation. Those offering condolences will bring items such as coconut, ghee, camphor or other necessary material instead, so the bereaved family gets practical help.The mahapanchayat also fixed a ceiling on the shagun given to the kinnar community. It will be a maximum of Rs 5,100 for weddings and births. On festivals such as Holi and Diwali, the shagun in the market will not exceed Rs 500.Gupta said the mahapanchayat was not meant to hurt anyone’s sentiments. Its aim, he said, was to end practices that are becoming an economic and social burden on families and to promote simplicity, equality and cooperation in society. Implementing the decisions will need the support of the whole community, he added.Those present pledged to follow the decisions in their own families first and then take the message to every household.