Looking for modern, yet traditional girls!

I was watching an old movie recently. There was a particular scene in which the boy’s parents came to ‘see’ the girl.

This made me think of my uncle talking about finding a suitable girl. He had his conditions. She had to be a homely woman with kumkum on her forehead, face cleaned with turmeric, hair washed with shika, a big round bindi, well-oiled and plaited long black hair and a neatly-tied saree.

Do such girls still exist? Do our men still expect their women to be the typical Mahalakshmi? I decided to conduct my own survey and was surprised when a new word was added to my dictionary — Neo Mahalakshmi.  

These days, men don’t want the Miss-Goody-Two-Shoes type. They prefer someone who is rooted in tradition yet modern in outlook.

So what are the characteristics of this Neo Mahalakshmi? “I like cute looking girls. Oiled long hair is not my type. Long hair is fine as long as it is left loose,” says Sanjay, an IT professional.

“I would love to see my girl in kurtis or casual jeans and a tee. I would not expect my woman to wear flowers on her hair but a small rose would be nice,” says Ashok, a student.

“Girls with too many body piercings is a big no-no, but a small diamond nose stud would be nice. I prefer minimal jewellery. I don’t expect a stylish girl, but a little makeup — maybe lip gloss and kohl,  

is pleasing,” says Madan, a marketing professional.

But there is one thing the men unanimously agree with, that they would always prefer their Neo Mahalakshmi in a saree. Albeit without well-oiled plaits.