Dipti Roy, a doctor with Nalanda Medical College and Hospital, is set to go to Bangalore to buy jewellery for her daughter’s wedding, scheduled on April 18.

The visit to the south Indian city has not been prompted by any special design available there but because of complete unavailability of ornaments in the state capital.

“This is troublesome. A lot of things have to be arranged for a wedding. It is impossible to have a marriage without jewellery. As all the shops are closed in Patna, I have no other option but to go to Bangalore. I spoke over phone with the manager of a branded jewellery outlet in Bangalore and decided to visit it,” said Roy.

The doctor added: “I can afford to do this. But what about people who can’t?”

Roy is not alone in this quandary. Several residents of Patna, who plan to get married this month, and their kin are hard put to add the Midas touch to weddings because of the strike of jewellers protesting against the levy of excise duty on ornaments.

Around 1,000 jewellery shops in Patna have been closed since March 17 and they are unlikely to open very soon. Same is the scene in most of the other states. The wedding season is set to start on April 14 — 10 days from now. It will continue till the end of the month. There are no auspicious dates in May.

Vinod Kumar, spokesperson, Patliputra Sarrafa Sangh, on Wednesday said: “The shops will remain closed till our demand of withdrawing the excise duty is met. Now, this protest has spread to each and every corner of Bihar. Jewellers are protesting the imposition of excise duty under different banners and associations at block- and district-levels.”

The joint secretary of the organisation, Atul Kumar, said: “Even Anna Hazare has supported our protest. The shops shall remain closed unless the central govern- ment rolls back or gives us a written assurance.”

The artisans associated with the organisation also staged a daylong hunger strike on Wednesday at Kargil Chowk.

The protest has put a spanner in the works of many prospective brides and grooms and their relatives. Vishesh Pandey, whose marriage is scheduled on April 19, said: “All the shops are closed. I don’t know where to buy gold jewellery for my bride.”

His predicament is acute as it is nearly impossible to get married without some essential pieces of ornament.

Rupesh Pathak, a priest with Radhe-Krishna temple on Boring Canal Road, said: “There are some jewellery which are very important in Hindu weddings. Without dholna (pendant), maangtika (head ornament) and nathia (nose ring), it is impossible to solemnise a wedding.”

He added: “According to custom, the family of the bride also present a number of silver items like fish, betel leaf, betel nut and katora (bowl) to the groom’s family. All these items are only available at jewellery shops.”

Desperate residents don’t have a clue about their next course of action. Rajabazaar resident Ramesh Pandit, whose son’s wedding is scheduled on April 20, said: “I really do not know when this strike will end. We are helplessly suffering.”