Health, Mind, Beauty and Relations: DIWALI GIFTS WITH A TINGE OF TRADITION

Saturday, November 2, 2013

DIWALI GIFTS WITH A TINGE OF TRADITION

    Most of the city is already gleaming with lights, and the excitement of Diwali is in the air. And today, on Dhanteras, most of us will go shopping. As you get ready to welcome Goddess Lakshmi, and meet and greet your friends to celebrate the occasion as well, one of the most important things on your mind is the gifts. Whom to give what? How to keep it less expensive, as well as unique. The festival remains incomplete without the exchange of gifts, but this Diwali, maybe you can get modern and yet let tradition take a bow when you choose those gifts. Yes, there are chocolate, dry fruits, candles, decorative pieces, jewellery and more – but what caught our eyes, as we went on a recce, were gifts that stood out for their innovativeness...
CHOCOLICIOUS The shops are loaded with an amazing range of chocolate this year. Traditional sweets and dry fruits seem to have taken a backseat, and we spotted even Ganesh and Lakshmi murtis in chocolate in one of the shops! Choco Creations has come up with a festive range of chocolate, which include chocolate greeting cards, chocolate diyas, and decorative pieces. They even have chocolate perfumed with fruity fragrances. Says Sandip Sharma, the executive at the shop, “The goddess has been a sell-out and this year, the demand for chocolate items has gone up.” In the other shops, we also spotted chocolate in strawberry, rose, honey, orange and mango flavours here.
THE TRADITIONAL TOUCH: DIYAS
    One can definitely add some zing to Diwali by gifting diyas decorated with colours and dazzlers. “Since people want a traditional touch in everything, we have those terracotta diyas filled with coloured wax, handcrafted in various designs – these are fast sellers. Many add these to the pack of namkeens/dry fruits that they give as gifts. Even chocolate have been customised in various designs,” informs Aseem Mahajan, owner of a gift gallery in Raja Park.
    Colourful aromatic diyas, and other traditional knickknacks in various shapes and designs are also selling like hot cakes in the market. An array of glittering lamps, door hangings, designer candles and idols are available to fit every pocket. “I don’t like candles as they do not give me the feel terracota diyas give. So, I always go for earthen diyas,” says Sonal Shah, a homemaker. Counters Rama Bhatia, “I love those small flat candles. They look very glamourous, plus I like to light them and leave them floating in a pool of water in the garden outside.”
THE PUJA THALI FOR INDOPHILES “I have foreigner friends, and they love it when they get traditional gifts. So, this year, I am going to give them the traditional puja thali, but with a modern twist – in metal, so that it won’t break or get damaged,” says Saloni Shukla, an entrepreneur. The shopkeepers have seen a demand for thaals, and even Diwali gift hampers of dry fruits and sweet boxes have been topped with puja thalis this time. Intricately handcrafted thalis with roli, kumkum, haldi, diya and dry fruits are a rage. “This makes a good gifting option for everyone. We have them in an affordable range, of 300 to 1500 in various metals. We also have ones decorated with gotta patti and kundan meena work,” says Rohit Singhal, a shop owner in a city mall.