Nagpur sweet shops see Diwali rush, with demand for sugar-free and fusion mithai

As Diwali nears, Nagpur's markets are showing a distinct festive buzz. The festival is not only about the glow of lamps. People also sweeten relationships by offering each other sweets, and buying of mithai has picked up across the city.

Sweets are a very large business at Diwali, and demand keeps rising as the festival draws closer. People are buying boxes of sweets for loved ones, relatives, friends and acquaintances. Queues have formed outside sweet shops and food establishments. Exchanging boxes of sweets is considered among the most special traditional ways of greeting one's own people.

Major markets such as Dhantoli, Sitabuldi, Dharampeth, Itwari, Sadar, Mahal, Kamal Chowk, Jaripatka and Laxmi Nagar are seeing huge crowds of customers these days. People are sending packets of sweets with good wishes to the homes of friends, relatives and loved ones. From the corporate sector to family events, everyone is presenting sweet gift packs and boxes of dry fruits to their special people.

The sweets trade is seeing another major change this time. The Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) is maintaining constant vigil in the festive season to crack down on adulterators. Customers, too, appear quite conscious about purity. Instead of cheap and adulterated goods, people prefer to buy premium-quality sweets from branded outlets, reputed halwais and shops known for traditional craftsmanship. Boxes are being packed only after checking the purity of the mawa and the expiry date on packed items.

Nagpur's halwais are paying special attention to customers' preferences this festive season. Traditional sweets such as kaju katli, motichoor ladoo, milk cake and gulab jamun remain the top sellers, as always. But fusion sweets and sugar-free sweets are also at the peak of popularity in the market this time. Modern sweets such as anjeer katli, badam basket and chocolate-flavoured varieties, along with customised gift hampers, have given the trade a new dimension. Artisans say advance bookings and bulk orders are forcing them to prepare sweets day and night.

Krishna Jaipurkar, Joint Commissioner of the FDA in Nagpur, said demand for sweets rises during the festival, and this creates a possibility of adulteration in the market. According to him, the FDA is conducting regular checks with citizens' health in mind, so that they get safe food. He said a special Diwali inspection drive is under way, under which teams are visiting food establishments for inspection every day.