As Akshaya Tritiya draws near, it’s time to shine in more ways than one. Celebrated with a touch of sparkle, it is the perfect occasion to invest in jewellery. CT brings you a style guide to help you flaunt your finest pieces and put your best foot forward at upcoming weddings,

Jewellery trends this season

Temple jewellery with lotus, peacock, and Lakshmi motifs
Chunky chokers paired with guinea rani haars
Oversized maang tikkas, sheeshphools, and bold mathapattis
Gold fused with kundan settings
Choker-style kundan necklaces with emerald bead drops
Layered pearl or ruby polki choker sets
Polki chandbalis, hathphools, and stacked ivory-gold bangles

“This season is all about looking luminous and elegant,” says celebrity makeup artist Abhijit Paul. Summer brides are embracing dewy skin with minimal contouring. “Think lit-from-within, not layered-on makeup,” he adds. Eyes are bold yet earthy, with bronze, copper, and burgundy smokey lids paired with wispy, natural lashes. Brows stay full and softly defined. “Rich reds and deep berries are timeless for weddings, but softer pinks and nudes are big for daytime looks,” adds Abhijit. Small bindis and gold highlighted inner eye corners are making a comeback. Hair trends feature voluminous curls, floral-adorned buns, and sleek center parts. “Peachy cream blush high on the cheeks with a soft glow is the perfect finish,” says Abhijit.

Style your gold

Red rules, with Benarasi, Kanjeevaram, and Garad sarees in red and rust shades
Minimal zari and antique gold detailing to go with antique jewellery
Dual-toned pallus pair well with modern designs
Team Traditional drapes like aatpoure, madisar with vintage jewellery
Belts, veils, and layered dupattas add a modern twist to the jewelled look
Intricately woven pallus and borders add richness to traditional jewellery
Mix classic weaves with contemporary styles for a fresh yet timeless vibe
Quotes:
On Akshaya Tritiya, I enjoy wearing sari and gold jewellery. I try to buy something new to celebrate the occasion, even if it is small
– Riya Bhattacherjee, model
I’ve been drawn to gold jewellery, but I either love tiny, minimalist pieces or bold statement ones. My favourite gold jewellery is that of grandmom’s. She has an eye for rare designs, and I inherited that from her – Tanika Basu, actress
This season, traditional saris and jewellery are making a strong comeback. It’s all about being rooted in heritage while styling the outfit and jewellery with a fresh perspective– Sandip Jaiswal, stylist
Pix: Anindya Saha
Makeup: Abhijit Paul
Hair: Sananda Laha
Wardrobe and styled by: Sandip Jaiswal
Jewellery: Onirban Sen
Location: The Flamboyant

Staying put: Teachers and non-teaching staff, whose appointments were invalidated by the Supreme Court recently, stage a protest in front of West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) office, in Kolkata. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

Kolkata The West Bengal government on Saturday offered a monthly honorarium to non-teaching employees of State-run schools and urged them to end their strike. However, the protesters said they will continue the stir, which started on April 21, until the government issues a list of “tainted” and “untainted” employees.

Also read: Teachers pause sit-in outside WBSSC office; non-teaching staff to continue their protest

Hundreds of Group C and D non-teaching employees have been camping outside the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) office in Kolkata’s Salt Lake area after losing their jobs following a Supreme Court order earlier this month.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee joined on phone a meeting between Chief Secretary Manoj Pant and eight representatives of the non-teaching staff at Nabanna, the State Secretariat, and announced an honorarium of Rs. 25,000 for Group C employees and Rs. 20,000 for Group D employees.

“Families are in trouble, people have old parents… We can find a way out by paying an honorarium after consulting all the stakeholders,” said the CM.

She added that until the State government files a review petition in the Supreme Court and gets the final verdict, non-teaching employees will continue to receive the monthly honorarium. Ms. Banerjee said her government will not discriminate between “tainted” and “untainted” employees as the matter is “sub judice”.

Amit Mondal, one of the representatives who attended the meeting, told The Hindu , “Those who have been on hunger strikes have refused to break their fast and call off the protest. Yes, the honorarium will help run our families for the time being, but we wanted an official list of ‘tainted’ and ‘untainted’ candidates. The government did not do that.”

The background

In its April 3 order, the Supreme Court upheld a Calcutta High Court decision to cancel the recruitment of nearly 26,000 teachers and non-teaching staff due to irregularities in the selection process. While the apex court subsequently allowed “untainted” teachers to continue working until year-end, non-teaching employees were offered no such reprieve.On April 21, teachers and non-teaching employees started the protest outside the WBBSE demanding the official list of “tainted” and “untainted” workers. On Thursday, the government released lists of “untainted” teachers and a day later, the teachers called off their protest. However, the non-teaching staff have continued their strike and continue to press the government to issue a similar list, which would help the “untainted” to reclaim their jobs.