The traditional face of the nation’s biggest festival is changing rapidly. And, exchanging gifts is no longer about boxes of mithai or colourfully packaged diyas.
This Diwali, funky and unconventional gifts are the in thing
Sameer Mehra is circulating a wishlist among friends and family this Diwali. The software professional says that he has had enough of traditional gifts and would happily settle for bottles of wine for a small bar he wants to set up at home.
The traditional face of the nation’s biggest festival is changing rapidly. And, exchanging gifts is no longer about boxes of mithai or colourfully packaged diyas. “Items like Ganesha motifs or kitchenware are so passé,” says banker Preeti Mehta, who has asked her friends and family to consult her before giving her a Diwali present this year. “I would rather give and receive something unconventional.” On her part, Mehta will giving Belgian chocolates instead of the usual kaju katri (almond sweet).
If sales pattern are anything to go by, then shoppers are giving traditional items a miss and picking up lifestyle products. There is a marked preference for imported chocolates and cookies over Indian sweets. Items like jewellery, electronic goods and even bottles of wine are becoming regular Diwali gifts.
Call centre executive Sudha Shetty will also skip the crackers and burfi routine this year. On a recent trip to Thailand, she bought loads of colourful incense sticks packaged with cute porcelain containers as Diwali gifts. “People seem to be going for the unconventional,” says Anup Jain, who owns a Lokhandwala shop that stocks gem-studded pens and other decorative items. “Even traditional items are being marketed with a contemporary twist.”
Meanwhile, there are those who are investing their time and money doing something completely different from the norm. “Our friends agree that this year we will skip the presents and other expenses and take a vacation to Hong Kong,” says media professional Ravi Shukla.
Goddess Laxmi would surely approve!
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