How every box is checked before it leaves Kacheripady

Our strip says every box is hand-checked, and customers sometimes ask what that means. Here is what Biju and the three packers do with each order before it leaves the shop.

Stock arrives from makers in Sivakasi by lorry, mostly in July and August, and again in February before Vishu. Each carton is opened in the storeroom and the boxes inside are inspected. We look for damp first: a box that feels soft, smells musty or has water marks is set aside. In Kerala’s monsoon, damp is the commonest problem, and a damp sparkler sputters instead of burning.

Next, the packaging. Crushed corners, torn wrappers and loose lids are set aside. For sky shots and chakram, we check that the fuse is intact and tucked in, and that the base of each cake sits flat. For maalappadakkam, we check the garland is not tangled or broken. About 2 to 3% of what arrives fails these checks and goes back to the maker.

When your order is packed, the packer lists every item, ticks it off, and photographs the open carton before it is sealed. That photo goes to you on WhatsApp with the estimate. Fragile items like sky shots sit at the bottom with sparklers above, and the carton is marked with your name and a this-side-up arrow. If anything still arrives damaged, send us a photo of the unopened box within 48 hours and we replace it.