The short answer
- A kitty party is a group, usually of women, that meets once a month. Each member puts an agreed amount into a pool, and one member takes the pool at each meeting.
- In Bhopal there are four kinds of kitty party place: a restaurant or cafe section, a party hall, a resort lawn or poolside, and home or a society clubhouse.
- The first thing to ask any venue is whether the space is yours alone. A shared restaurant floor makes games and the draw awkward.
- Hold the draw early in the party, before anyone has to leave. It is the reason the group meets.
- A theme that follows the month, such as green for Teej in Saawan or the colour of the day in Navratri, is easier to dress for than an abstract one.
- From April to June, book an air-conditioned room for a daytime kitty. From November to February, a lawn or poolside afternoon is at its best.
A kitty party needs four things from a place: a space the group has to itself, a proper lunch or high tea, room to play games, and an end time that does not rush the afternoon. Most places in Bhopal give you two or three of those. Finding all four is the whole job.
There are four kinds of place to choose from: a private section of a restaurant or cafe, a party hall, a resort lawn or poolside, and home or a society clubhouse. Which one suits your group depends on how many members you have, what the month is, and how much of the afternoon goes on games.
This guide compares the four, gives you the questions to ask a venue before you book, and adds theme ideas by month, a list of games that work, and a running order for the afternoon.
What is a kitty party?
A kitty party is a social group, usually of women, that meets once a month. Every member puts an agreed amount into a common pool, the kitty, and at each meeting one member takes the whole pool, chosen by a draw or by an agreed order. Over a year, everyone gets the kitty once.
The hosting usually rotates too. Each month a different member chooses the place, the theme and the menu. That is why the same group ends up searching for kitty party places in Bhopal twelve times a year, and why a venue that handles it well gets asked back.
The money is the reason the group was formed. The afternoon is the reason it lasts: lunch, games, a theme to dress for, and a few hours with friends away from home.
Which kind of place suits your kitty party?
Group size decides more than anything else. A table for twelve and an afternoon for forty are different problems.
| Place | Group size | Strong point | Weak point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant or cafe section | 8 to 20 | The food is handled, and nothing needs arranging | Other diners nearby, little room for games, a fixed sitting |
| Party hall | 15 to 60 | A private room, air conditioning, music and space for games | Can feel empty if the group is small and the room is large |
| Resort lawn or poolside | 20 upwards | Space, open air and a setting worth photographing | Weather. Needs an indoor fallback in summer and the monsoon |
| Home or society clubhouse | Up to 20 | Familiar, private and easy | All the cooking and clearing falls on the host |
What should you ask a venue before booking a kitty party?
Eight questions settle most of it. The first one matters more than the other seven together.
- Is the space ours alone? A shared floor makes the draw and the games awkward, and the noise bothers other guests.
- How long is the slot? A kitty afternoon runs three to four hours. A ninety-minute sitting is too short.
- What is the smallest group you take, and how will the space be set for our number?
- Can the menu be fixed in advance, with vegetarian and Jain options for members who need them?
- Can we play music and use a microphone for the games?
- Can we put up a theme backdrop or table decor, and how early can we arrive to do it?
- Is there parking for every car? Twenty members usually means fifteen cars.
- Can the bill be split, or does one person pay?
What are good kitty party themes?
The easiest themes follow the calendar. Members already own the clothes, the decor is in the shops, and nobody has to explain the idea. Here is a year of them.
| Month | Theme | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| January | Sankranti and kites | Yellow and orange, kites as decor, til and gur sweets |
| February | Spring pastels | Soft colours and fresh flowers on the tables |
| March | Holi | White outfits with a splash of colour, thandai on the menu |
| April to June | Summer whites | Cotton and chikankari, cool drinks, a light lunch |
| July and August | Saawan and Teej | Green outfits and bangles, a jhoola for photographs |
| September and October | Navratri colours | Each member wears the colour of the day |
| October and November | Diwali | Diyas, rangoli and festive outfits |
| December | Winter or year-end | Shawls, warm colours and a look back at the year |
| Any month | Retro Bollywood | Each member comes as a film character from a chosen decade |
Which kitty party games work best?
The games that work are short, need no equipment that cannot be carried in a bag, and let the whole group play at once. One host-run game at a time works better than three running together.
- Tambola, or housie. The classic, and it holds a large group for half an hour.
- Antakshari. Two teams, songs only, and it gets louder as it goes.
- Dumb charades with film titles. Works for any age in the group.
- Passing the parcel with a forfeit in each layer.
- Best dressed for the theme, voted by the group.
- A quiz about the members themselves, built from questions the host collects in advance.
- One-minute games: stacking cups, sorting beads, or emptying a bowl with a straw.
Keep prizes small and the games short. The afternoon belongs to the conversation, not to the games.
What is a good running order for the afternoon?
Most kitty parties run three to four hours. The order below keeps it moving and makes sure the draw happens while everyone is still there.
- 01
Arrival and photographs
About twenty minutes for members to arrive and take the theme photographs.
- 02
The draw
Collect the contributions and hold the draw early, while every member is present.
- 03
Games
Two or three short games, one at a time.
- 04
Lunch or high tea
Served once the games are done and the group has settled.
- 05
Dessert and the next date
Fix the next host and date over tea, before anyone leaves.
When is the best time of year for a kitty party in Bhopal?
Most kitty parties in Bhopal are held in the day, which makes the season matter more than it does for an evening party.
From November to February, a lawn or poolside afternoon is the best setting the city offers. The light is soft, the air is cool and the photographs look their best. March is still comfortable.
From April to June, a daytime kitty needs an air-conditioned room. An afternoon outdoors in May is not pleasant for anyone. In the monsoon months, choose an indoor space, or an outdoor one with a covered area you have actually seen.
During Navratri and the Diwali weeks, venues and caterers are busy, so book earlier than usual.
Can you hold a kitty party by the pool?
Yes, at a venue that has one, and a poolside afternoon in the cooler months is one of the most popular kitty formats. A few things are worth agreeing in advance.
Ask whether the poolside is a setting for the party or whether members can swim. These are different bookings, and the venue's rules on pool use apply. Ask whether the area is private for your group. And plan seating in shade, because a poolside without it is hard work by early afternoon.
A kitty party at The Heritage Resort
The Heritage Resort in Misrod hosts kitty parties in its air-conditioned party hall, with daytime slots for lunch, games and music in a private space. In the cooler months, ask about the lawn or the poolside as a setting.
Catering is in-house, with vegetarian, Jain and multi-cuisine menus that can be fixed in advance. There is room for a theme backdrop and parking for 200+ cars, so fifteen members' cars are not a problem. The resort is at Samrdha, near 11 Mile Road on the Hoshangabad Road side of Bhopal, and the location pin can go straight into the group's WhatsApp chat.
To check a date, send the day, the number of members and the kind of menu you want on WhatsApp, or call +91 82697 88505.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a kitty party?
- A kitty party is a social group, usually of women, that meets once a month. Each member contributes an agreed amount to a common pool, and at every meeting one member takes the pool, by draw or by an agreed order. The meetings usually include lunch, games and a theme.
- Which are good kitty party places in Bhopal?
- There are four kinds: a private section of a restaurant or cafe for small groups, a party hall for fifteen to sixty members, a resort lawn or poolside for larger groups in the cooler months, and home or a society clubhouse. The best choice depends on group size and the month.
- How many people come to a kitty party?
- Most kitty groups have between ten and thirty members. A group of more than twenty usually needs a private hall or a section of a lawn, because a restaurant table cannot hold the games.
- What games are played at a kitty party?
- Tambola or housie, antakshari, dumb charades, passing the parcel, a best-dressed contest for the theme, a quiz about the members, and quick one-minute games such as stacking cups. Run one game at a time and keep the prizes small.
- What are good kitty party themes?
- Themes that follow the calendar are the easiest: kites for Sankranti, white and colour for Holi, green for Teej in Saawan, the colour of the day in Navratri, and diyas for Diwali. Retro Bollywood works in any month.
- How long does a kitty party last?
- Three to four hours is usual, covering arrival, the draw, two or three games, lunch and dessert. Check that the venue's slot is long enough, since a ninety-minute restaurant sitting is too short.
- When should the draw be held?
- Early in the party, once the contributions are collected and every member is present. Holding it at the end risks members leaving before it happens.
- Can we hold a kitty party at a resort?
- Yes. A resort gives you a private hall and, in the cooler months, a lawn or poolside setting, with catering and parking on the property. Ask whether the space is private for your group and how long the slot runs.
- Does The Heritage Resort host kitty parties?
- Yes. The air-conditioned party hall in Misrod has daytime slots for kitty parties with lunch, games and music, and in-house vegetarian, Jain and multi-cuisine menus. Call +91 82697 88505 or send a WhatsApp message with your date and group size.
