Diwali is mostly associated with lights and fireworks but it is also associated with some mouth watering delicacies. Now with only few days left for the festival, people have started focusing on the sweets.
This year a wide range of sweets are available in the local market. Sweet shop owners have tried to make something different for their customers. Green laddoo made with bottle gourd, coconut, and dry fruits and Mewa bite made with only dry fruits are popular among the customers this year. Soan papdi, kaju barfi, milkcake and pinni are also high in demand in this festive season. The prices of these sweets range from Rs 250 to Rs 750 per kg.
Gaurav Sharma owner of Ganpati Sweet Shop at Rajpur Road said that this Diwali they have a wide range of sweets available in the shop but people are mostly buying ‘meva sundaram’ made with wheat flour, ghee and dry fruits and kalakand made with milk. Nitin, owner of Kumar Sweet shop at Rajpur Road said that, the craze for sweets is not new among people but the demand rises during festive times.
“Customers love to try new sweets and that is why this Diwali we have a wide range of sweets available for different prices starting from Rs 360 to Rs 750 per kg in the shop,” he said while adding that ‘Mewa bite’ cost Rs 750 per kg made with only dry fruits is the most expensive sweet in the shop. Sugar free sweets are also available in the shop for diabetic people. People mostly prefer sweets like doda barfi, kaju barfi and soan papdi during Diwali as they have a longer shelf life, he added.
Nilambar, owner of Bengali Sweet Shop near Clock Tower said that different people have different choices of sweets, but this time green ladoo made with bottle gourd, coconut, and dry fruits and besan (Gram flour) barfi is also in demand. “Mewa bite is our most expensive sweet costing Rs 680 per kg and is very popular among kids because it is also available in chocolate flavor,” he added.
However, the rising prices of most commodities will prevent many from spending much on sweets this time. local resisdent Sakshi said that without sweets Diwali is incomplete but the prices of many sweets are not affordable for everyone. Kavita another local resident said that without sweets one cannot imagine Diwali festival. Soan papdi and coconut barfi are the best sweets to buy because they can be stored for a longer period, she added.