subject: Savouring Sublimity in Diwali Sweets [print this page] Diwali is a time for indulgenceDiwali is a time for indulgence. A time to indulge in festivities, to indulge family and friends with gifts and clothes, and a time to indulge the Gods with fresh new robes and offerings. Diwali also means indulging the sweet tooth with innumerable sweets and delicacies.
Diwali sweets are planned and prepared a few days before Diwali. There is no single sweet which makes an offering. Instead, there are several varieties of sweets which make their way from the kitchen to the puja room as offerings, and finally into longing stomachs that groan in satisfaction.
There is no set Diwali sweet that must be served. Although Diwali tradition usually implied that sweets were made in the house, today, people also supplement stocks at home with sweets that are purchased.
Deepavali sweets are usually made a few days in advance, since they are offered during all five days of puja. They find consumers quickly, and new rounds often have to be made to ensure there is something at hand for the next offering.
Traditional Diwali sweets vary from region to region. Each state has its own customs and advocates its own sweets for Diwali. In the south, you will normally find sweets like mysore pak, laddoos made using besan and sooji, and also coconut barfi. In the north, the most popular sweet made is the gujia, while you will also find halwa made using carrots and dudhi being served. The Gujrati fraternity gave India the wondrous gift of kaju katli and have delighted people with the sweet tooth as they welcome and generously use this sweet today.
Diwali sweets are a standard gift for friends. It is among the most popular gifts to share when you go visiting. They are easily accepted and appreciated. Milk sweets, kaju katli and laddoos are generously packed into decorative boxes before the sweetness of Diwali is shared with willing takers. Today, it is common to buy Diwali sweets and exchange them as gifts, although some people still adhere to the practice of circulating sweets made at home.
On completing the Diwali puja, people help themselves to liberal helpings of Diwali sweets and partake the joy of Diwali. They make standard snacks for many days even after Diwali festivities are over. This ensures the sweetness of Diwali lingers long after it is actually over.
Among the many Diwali gifts that are sent from families living overseas, it is most difficult to send Diwali sweets to India. There has, today, been a revolution in the gifting tradition with websites and portals set up to unite families separated by geographical boundaries. Although sweets may not be sent all the way from abroad, portals allow you to order the sweets online, and then have them sent directly to your friends and family on your behalf.
The joy of Diwali is truly limitless today. Geography has become only a spot on the map, and people can be united in mind and spirit. There is yet another reason to celebrate the wonder of Diwali. You are no longer detached from anyone anymore.
