From anjali to date night: Dress to impress this Saraswati Puja

Saraswati Puja is almost here and burying yourself in homework or deadlines is a no-no! If you’re stepping out for anjali with your BFFs or planning brunch with bae, ditch the basic yellow sari and go for gold… or maybe sequins or even some cool art deco jewellery! Actors John Bhattacharya and Sanjana Banerjee posed in a special photoshoot for the CT Saraswati Puja lookbook, curated by Meghali Barua Lahiry. If you have plans for the Bengali Valentine’s Day, here are some pointers to ace the all-day fashion memo!Paint the town red: For a fancy date night with bae, go for the Deepika — a sleek low bun, a wearable Benarasi and a daring choker! Sanjana’s orange Benarasi works wonders with her pink bustier blouse, layered choker and spunky glitter nail art. Boys can’t go wrong with a monochrome kurta in shades like blue, red, white or black Would jump at the chance of a date: Sanjana BanerjeeI was born and bred outside India, far away from Kolkata and its traditions, so my definition of Saraswati Puja was limited to mostly just the religious aspect of it. My childhood memories of this day include ditching school (parent sanctioned!), packing my books and laying them at Maa’s feet, hanging out with my friends and eating lots of yummy bhog. These special Puja days, so full of fun and laughter, kept me grounded in my Bengali roots. A few years ago, during my very first Saraswati puja in Kolkata, my friends told me that it’s also dubbed the ‘Bengali Valentine’s Day.’ I personally find it cute. It feels like our little tradition and I would jump on the opportunity to say yes to a date this year. Sunny side up: Sanjana’s bright yellow kora silk with a pale border is the quintessential anjali sari. She pairs it with a quirky sleeveless blouse, yellow liner and a chic boho floral headband. “It’s serving forest fairy vibes!” she quipped. John keeps it classy in a breathy cotton printed shirt and cool denimGreen goddess: Stepping out for a lunch date? Explore unusual weaves like this stylised green mekhla and style them with party blouses featuring sequins, glitter or crystals. Add some cool bling like Sanjana’s gold-toned crescent danglers. John pairs a classic white shirt and dresses it up with a muted yellow Nehru-style jacket I take the Bengali Valentine’s Day seriously: John BhattacharyaSaraswati puja is beyond special to me, especially since we have a no pora shona policy for the day. My father ensured that I packed my books to lay them at Maa’s feet to seek her blessings (especially for the subjects I was not so great at!). It was a day filled with lots of kuler achaar, adda, my mother’s aalpona, bhog, anjali and a lot of fun. My friends and I would plan a night-out; we would build tents with bedsheets around the pandal and stay up thewhole night! I take the whole ‘Bengali Valentine’s Day’ thing very seriously so taking my girl out on a date is a must. I remember the first time we went out on Saraswati Puja, she walked to my car wearing a beautiful pastel yellow sari. Her cascading curls were flying in the wind. It was like a movie scene! I couldn’t take my eyes off her. I also love driving around on this day.Pics: Tathagata GhoshHair, makeup and styling: Kaushik-Rajat