THE BIG B
Children’s birthday parties are no longer just about a chocolate cake or passing the parcel: they can be as elaborate as weddings. Fantasy lands are recreated for the occasion, sometimes costing over Rs 3 lakh. Popular ideas range from a Harry Potter theme held in a partially lit Gothic building, or a Cinderella party with professional dancers to entertain the toddlers. “Parents who can afford it, love to make their kid’s dreams come true,” explains Meher Sarid, a party stylist based in Delhi. At a birthday party for his four-year-old daughter, a diamond merchant based in Cuffe Parade in Mumbai, gave little diamond pendants on a leather strap as the return gift to all the guests. At another party in Delhi, the return gift was an I-Pod Nano. Even banks have acknowledged the rising cost of birthday parties and some, like the State Bank of India and the Bank of Baroda offer loans for them. “These come under the category of personal loan,” says M.L. Dahiya, manager, home loans, Bank of Baroda. Even the instalments don’t play party pooper.
— Vandana Kalra

WHEEL IT OUT
The ultimate status symbol in cars remains the Maybach (Rs 5.25 crore), followed by the Bentley Arnage (Rs 2 crore), and the Porsche 911 Carrera (between Rs 64 lakh to Rs 71 lakh). The Maybach can be personalised in a million different ways, making every car a one-of-a-kind piece. However, there are just two Maybachs on Indian roads, one belongs to Mukesh Ambani, and the second to pan masala tycoon Rasiklal Maniklal Dhariwal.
— Meher Fatma

... contd.