Call it a stroke of genius or an absurd allowance for fashion, but actress Shilpa Shetty’s mangalsutra ala bracelet is inviting a lot of attention.Since her wedding to Raj Kundra last November, Shilpa has been spotted wearing the black and gold beads on her wrist. Asked if it was a mangalsutra, she said, "I don’t wear a mangalsutra on my neck unless I’m in Indian attire. I’ve turned it into a bracelet."
But Shilpa’s remix style hasn’t gone down well with the culture cops. Acharya Manoj, a Delhi-based pandit, says, “Wearing a mangalsutra anywhere but around the neck is disrespectful to Indian culture. Kisi ko hamari sanskriti ka mazaak banane ki anumati nahi hai.”Says Mehrauli-based priest Acharya Mahesh Chandra Shukla, “Wearing it on the hand can make it impure.”Delhi’s young women, however, are all for the Shilpa’s improvisation. “It’s a cool way wear the mangalsutra... some day even guys may want to go for it,” says banker Aparna Ahlawat. “As long as she’s committed to her man, it doesn’t matter if she wears it on her wrist or her head,” said Sapna Gupta, a DU student.