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    Karwa Chauth gets a makeover! Goes uber-cool with poker, spa and a sundowner party

    Synopsis

    The bling remains - but now there is a new element being added to this traditional ritual.

    ET Bureau
    Adding a cool quotient: Groups of women are getting together to ask for the longevity of their husbands in fun ways

    Remember DDLJ's iconic Karva Chauth scene with a fasting Simran (Kajol) demurely whimpering to her hero Raj Malhotra (Shah Rukh Khan) due to hunger pangs. The soft and romantic moonrise lead to a solemn puja as the coy wives look dutifully at their husbands through ceremonial sieves. DDLJ-style Karva Chauth -a ritual more common in the Hindi heartland where married women fast for their husbands' well-being -is now a thing of the past.

    Modern-day Simrans are talking in a fun new vocabulary as they ask for the longevity of their husbands. For starters, there is going to be a pre-Karva Chauth sundowner party at a five-star hotel in Bengaluru this time. Complete with sangrias, a spa, photobooths and mehendi sessions, the all-women's do is positioned to be a fun precursor to the fasting festival on October 8.

    The unique sundowner will also have a business networking corner.“Idea is to keep traditions alive with a fun twist,“ says organiser Simran Sachdeva, adding, “parties have become multi-dimensional. People want fun, relaxation, food, and networking under one roof. So, one is constantly looking for an occasion to make the most of it.“

    Karva Chauth has a cool quotient in Bengaluru now. It's not just about celebrating the bond of love be tween married couples but a lively platform for the women community to connect and revere. The romantic festival is being celebrated over poker, movies and spas by the well-heeled women of the city .

    Fashion choreographer Sheetal Sharma, who is invited to a few such dos, says that plain fasting at home alone is passé. “Groups of women get together to play poker. Some are outsourcing party décor for the evening puja. Return gifts like stylish bangles and embellished potlis are given. Unlike eating home-food to break the fast, couples go for grand dinners at top restaurants,“ says Sharma.

    The mindset is casual and up-to-date. “We can break our fast with sushi now,“ chuckles Anu Aurora, director of waste management company Bioxgreen.

    Aurora, who organises a karvachauth get together every year, adds, “In the olden days, women would narrate customary stories during puja. With time, as new generations lost touch with history , we started getting senior women to come on Skype to tell us tales electronically . Now, we easily log onto platforms like YouTube for recorded stories.“ Artist Pragya Jain, who keeps a fast every year, notes a sudden high on the Karva Chauth only this year.“Given the high-strung lives we lead, it's good to take a day off and celebrate Karva Chauth largerthan-life, like all festivals.“

    Many like Shruti Singhal, director of after-school programme iLeap, think of Karva Chauth parties as a good platform to make new friends.She is attending the pre-Karva Chauth sundowner this time.“Bengaluru's nuclear family culture does not allow one to enjoy a festival on a grand scale. These festive parties are thus important as one gets to dress up and celebrate wholesomely . It helps the new generation maintain Indian culture while moving with the times.“

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