Madhabilata flaunts an outfit at Shagun; (above) chefs display a Thali at Hyatt Regency. Pictures by Rashbehari Das

What: Shagun, hosted by Calcutta Park Street Ladies Circle 46.

Where: Taj Bengal.

When: Saturday.

Take a look: The pre-Karwa Chauth exhibition had 39 stalls spread across Oriental, Portico and Mandarin, offering a melange of everything colourful and festive. Outfits (mostly ethnic), jewellery (both precious and semi-precious), floral art, decorative pieces… The house was full. The exhibition was on from 11 am till evening and a fashion show kept the ladies busy all afternoon.

Six sequences were lined up, punctuated with Mir’s words and announcements of sub-contest winners. The labels on the ramp were Sujata Jhunjhunwala, Bandhej, Shoeline, Premila Sharda, Palki and Satya Paul. Choreographed by Ria Mitra, the first five sequences saw ramp regulars like Priyanka Pal, Tanushree, Pamela, Jessica, Sanchita and Sananda Tilottama girls Madhabilata and Shilpi.

The real action was in the final round when eight ladies from the Ladies Circle catwalked in Satya Paul saris. Sneha Nagpal, Trupti Mohta, Amishi Mehta, Daman Deep, Rashmi Chowdhary, Archana Agarwal, Alka Tibrewal and Vishakha Saraf seemed quite at home in the spotlight.

The contests: The fourth edition of Shagun saw several sub-contests, too. Rashmi Krishna took home the prize for jewellery design, Ritu Kothari won a prize for her essay on Karwa Chauth, Anuradha Tikmany for block printing and Shagun for the Puja thali decoration.

Archana Saliya took home the prize for a bindi design contest and Madhu Agarwal bagged goodies for her entry in stone setting in Arabic mehndi competition.

Voiceover: “Shagun is a popular event in our Circle’s calendar. The idea was to organise a day full of fun events. Participation was high and the contests were a success. Proceeds from the event will be used to set up a school,” said Shraddha Singhania of Calcutta Park Street Ladies Circle 46.

Platter pick

What: Thali Promotion.

Where: Guchhi at Hyatt Regency Kolkata.

When: Till October 31. Punjabi Thali till October 11; Bengali Thali from October 12 to 18; Marwari Thali from October 19 to 25 and South Indian Thali from October 26 to 31.

The spread: Sumptuous, tasty and traditional… the selection of vegetarian and non-vegetarian thalis with unlimited refills is a “buffet a-la-carte”, says executive chef Hemant Mehta. Choose from Marwari, Bengali, Punjabi and South Indian thalis.

Start with Sweet Lassi for the Punjabi Thali. Vegetarians can gorge on delicacies like Punjabi Kadi, Punjabi Palak Paneer and Baigan Bharta.

The non-vegetarian thali includes Murgh Tikka Butter Masala, Bhuna Gosht, Punjabi Kadi and Punjabi Chhole. Plus, Tandoori Paratha, Matarwale Chawal, Boondi Raita and Phirni.

Refresh yourself with Daaber Jal before digging into the Bengali Thali. There’s Aloo Posto, Chhenar Dalna and Phulkopir Dalna in vegetarian, and Kasha Mansho, Murgir Jhol... in non-vegetarian. Plus, Luchi, Ghee Bhat and Rosogolla.

The Marwari Thali stars Gatte Ki Subzi, Sangri Ka Kofta, Dal Tadka, Jodhpuri Pulao and more. Round it off with Malpua and Rabri. The South Indian Thali features Butter Milk, Beans Porial, Avial, Vendekeya Bepudu for vegetarians and Chicken Chettinad, Pepper Mutton and Khatti Dal for non-vegetarians. Plus, Malabari Paratha and Lemon Rice.

Pocket pinch: Rs 650-plus for vegetarian thalis, Rs 750-plus for non-vegetarians.

Voiceover: “Given their popularity, we could make the Thali a regular affair,” smiled Mehta.