Diwali 2018: Faral preparation a source of empowerment for two sisters

For Namrata Bamne and hundreds of women like her, Diwali not only calls for celebration but is also a source of financial independence and empowerment. As the demand for faral (Diwali snacks) is on the rise, many women and self-help groups use this opportunity to do good business. While some women set up stalls on the roadside in Dadar, Lalbaug areas or exhibitions, some accept orders through word of mouth.

"I had started 12 days in advance this year. However, the preparations extend till the last minute anyway," said Namrata.

This is for the fifth year that the two sisters have come together to prepare faral. Parshetye, the oldest amongst the two, comes from Girgaon to visits her sister's house in Dadar, in order to help her with the preparations.

"It is my sister who is the expert in the recipes and she manages to get the proportions right. We don't advertise but people like our faral and spread the world. It is very encouraging when more and more orders arrive each year. I can contribute to the household income while doing something I enjoy," said Bamne.

Faral, or traditional snacks prepared for the occasion of Diwali, would be prepared in every Maharashtrian household once upon a time until a decade ago when people started turning towards ready-made faral. Reasons for the switch being nuclear families and the next generation simply not aware enough about the recipes.

The Bamne family was encouraged by a local temple trust, the Kalavati Aai Mandir in Mahim, to start making faral for the temple.

"Even today the first order comes from the temple. From this year onwards we are even supplying to a Bandra office of an Oil Marketing Company and already are supplying it to a publishing house in Dadar," said Narendra Bamne, who helps his wife by delivering the faral.

Bamne's husband suffered a heart attack a few years ago and the daily tiffin service she ran for office-goers had to be shut. "The Diwali faral was a new beginning, and it is very satisfying. I don't employ anyone and am content with the steady increase in orders," she said.

With two more days of work left, Bamne and her sister have already prepared 800 karanjis, 500 ladoos of three kinds, chivda, shankarpali, and 30 kg of chakli, which is her bestseller.

The clients are mostly Maharashtrian families who manage to prepare only a few items and choose to order the rest, owing to lack of time and skills. "Most working women, living in smaller families, don't find time to make many preparations. I make chaklis and ladoos, but order karanjis, which also require a lot of time and skill," said Yogita Kamerkar, a Girgaon resident.