Friday, May 27, 2011

Dowry Calculator & the Kitty Party Subculture


We came across this app built for the quintessential Indian Auntie. It calculates the right amount of dowry to ask for when getting married. We think this is the next big thing after shaadi.com, and it certainly has the chutzpah and the social currency to make headlines in the kitty party* circuit. The real genius, a point that cannot go unmentioned, is that this algorithm leaves little hope for people that didn't make it to Harvard, IIT or IIM. But for those who did, can check out their dowry worth here.

* Kitty Party = A congregation of wealthy housewives that get together once a month to discuss matrimony, food, fashion and jewellery. And of course its not unusual for such discussions to turn to gossip- as commonly associated with kitty parties. However, much to their credit, the kitty party phenomena is largely responsible for keeping afloat restaurants which are past their prime. Moreover, they represent a large network of matchmakers responsible for many Indian weddings. And last but not least, these ladies have an astonishing ability to save large amounts of money- the very reason of how it all started.

No comments:

Post a Comment