A girl shops for greeting cards on Friday in Bhubaneswar ahead of Friendship Day. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 2: Friendship Day is going beyond social networking sites to newer, more happening territories this year. And it’s event planners who are making hay while the sun shines.

Youngsters here have come up with quirky ideas to celebrate the day that is observed the world over on the first Sunday of August.

Over the past few years, a sundry post on Facebook was all this special day of bonding was about. With the exception of a few, who are still holding on the friendship bands and greeting cards of yore, people such as software engineer Sujit Hota are loosening their purse strings to celebrate the day a bit differently.

“In our group of friends, most of us love photography. So, we are planning a special photoshoot in which we will take the photographs with our high-end cameras,” said Hota.

The tech buddies have hired the services of an event planner for the complicated backdrop required for the shoot.

“We have discussed with the planners the backdrop we wanted. We have ordered one that will have our group snaps and some decoration,” said Hota. Hota and his friends are spending Rs 8,000 for the services of the planner.

Dibyush Jena, a final-year engineering student, is also planning a get-together with his friends at a city hotel. He has hired the services of an event planner too for Rs 10,000.

Friendship Day is keeping event planner Srikant very busy. “Small get-togethers and parties are becoming very popular across all age groups. It’s not very expensive to order a small backdrop. The decorations can come at prices starting at Rs 8,000, depending on the space and prop requirements,” he said.

Then, of course, there are the parties at various bistros and pubs. At The Cellar, where DJ Ravi will be playing some foot-tapping numbers, the party will begin on Sunday afternoon. “It will be a special day, but we are not highlighting the show as we are afraid that rowdy elements might create a ruckus. Most of the seats have been reserved,” said Ravi.

The Underground, another high end pub, will host a similar event. “We are having a special evening this Sunday. We have made special arrangements for party animals, who want to celebrate this day with their pals,” said DJ Tushar.

Celebrities are also taking time out for their best buddies. “I will spend the day with my childhood pals at a resort on the outskirts of the city,” said actor Arindam.