Is a gift box better value than buying loose?
We priced our 45-item gift box against the same items bought box by box. Here is what we found.
Bestu Varas: the evening after Diwali in Gujarat
Gujarati New Year falls the day after Diwali. How families plan a second, gentler evening of crackers.
In most of India the crackers stop after Diwali night. In Gujarat there is a second evening, because the next day is Bestu Varas, the Gujarati New Year. Families visit relatives, exchange sweets and say Saal Mubarak, and many light a few more crackers in the evening.
Because it follows a big night, the Bestu Varas evening is usually smaller and quieter. Children are tired, older relatives are visiting and nobody wants another late night before work. We suggest families keep roughly a quarter of their Diwali budget aside for it. On a ₹6,000 order, that means setting aside about ₹1,500 of items before Diwali even begins, in a separate bag, so they do not all disappear on the first night.
Good items for the evening are those that look festive at the doorstep: deluxe flower pots, colour fountain cones in purple and green, ground chakkars and the 15 cm colour sparklers. These suit an apartment entrance or a pol courtyard. A single 30-shot multicolour at the end makes a nice close without being loud.
The days after Diwali are also when our shelves are emptiest. If you need more for Bestu Varas or for Labh Pancham, the fifth day, which many traders mark by opening their account books for the year, come before noon on Diwali day or order on WhatsApp the day before. We stay open till 11 pm through the festival week, but the popular fountains usually run out first.
