దమ్మిడీ పెళ్ళికి రూపాయి బాణసంచా

dammidi pelliki rupayi banasancha

Translation

One rupee worth of fireworks for a dammidi (pittance) wedding.

Meaning

This proverb describes a situation where the secondary or incidental expenses far exceed the value of the main event or the primary object itself. It is used to criticize someone who spends wastefully on trivialities or whose overhead costs are disproportionately high compared to the actual investment.

Related Phrases

A waste of fodder, but not even a dammidi's worth of work.

This proverb is used to describe someone who consumes a lot of resources (like food or money) but contributes absolutely nothing in terms of productivity. A 'dammidi' was a coin of the smallest denomination in ancient India. It is typically used to criticize laziness or inefficiency.

An Egany (higher value coin) dance troupe for a Dammidi (lowest value coin) wedding.

This expression is used to describe a situation where the incidental or secondary expenses far exceed the actual value of the main event or asset. It highlights poor financial planning or an absurd disproportion between the core purpose and the extravagant overheads.

A woman with no shame or decency went to her husband's wedding and gave a half-rupee gift from behind a wall.

This proverb is used to describe a person who lacks basic self-respect or shame. It highlights the absurdity of someone who attends their own husband's second marriage (implying a lack of pride) and then tries to act modest or secretive by hiding behind a wall while giving a trivial gift. It is used to mock people who do shameless things but try to maintain a facade of modesty or those who perform insignificant acts of charity in highly inappropriate situations.

When told to leave, acting as if invited to a wedding

This expression describes a person who thick-skinnedly ignores a clear rejection or an order to leave, instead pretending they were invited to stay for a celebration. It is used to mock someone who is unwelcome but refuses to take the hint or is intentionally being stubborn and naive to serve their own interest.

Like going to a wedding while carrying water (neeyi) in one's armpit.

This expression is used to describe a person who carries unnecessary baggage or clings to something burdensome while going to an important or celebratory event. It highlights the absurdity of holding onto something that hinders one's enjoyment or ease during a significant occasion.

For the wedding of an impecunious (a poor) man, a hailstorm.

This refers to the bad luck of an unfortunate person. When one is in misery, additional troubles come upon one and make one’s life more miserable.

A half-rupee wedding, and in that, loud fireworks.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone with very limited resources or a low-budget project attempts to show off with unnecessary extravagance or high-sounding claims. It mocks the irony of grand displays in a humble or poor setting.

For such a beautiful wedding, play the nadaswaram well.

This expression is used sarcastically to describe a situation where things are already going wrong or are messy, and someone adds more chaos or makes a foolish mistake that worsens it. It implies that since a situation is already a 'spectacle' (in a bad way), one might as well finish it off with more noise or absurdity.

Like going to a wedding while carrying a cat under one's arm.

This expression describes a situation where someone brings along an unnecessary burden or a nuisance while trying to perform an important task. It refers to people who create their own obstacles or distractions that make a simple or celebratory event difficult for themselves and others.

Like the moon rising for the mother-in-law's wedding

This expression is used to describe an event or an action that is completely unnecessary, redundant, or occurs at a highly inappropriate and absurd time. Since the 'mother-in-law' is already married (otherwise she wouldn't be a mother-in-law), having a wedding for her is nonsensical, and the moon rising for it adds an extra layer of mock-grandeur to something useless.