From cupcakes and candied platters to personalised services and lifestyle products, gifting options from around the city.
Sugar Diwali
There?s a new sugary treat in town this festive season. The folks at the Chattarpur-based Oh Sugar have come out with a range of Diwali-themed products geared towards making the festive table sweeter. On offer are Pots & Platters, comprising oven-proof terracotta pots filled with chocolate mousse, chocolate fudge and an orchid stem with a friendly message reminding you to go green this Diwali, all for Rs 550. For those looking for a little more, the bespoke bakery is also offering platters of strawberry, lemon and blueberry cheesecakes, with an Indian touch ? all made of spun sugar and priced between Rs 850 and Rs 1,150. Those looking for other options can ask the bakery to customise desserts of their choice into Diwali themes. Contact Mansi Gahlaut at 9811550664 or
Tanisha Sangha at 9873388891
Cause It Matters
Shunning firecrackers is a sureshot way to go green on Diwali, but here?s a little more one can do ? by gifting eco-friendly products. With waste management becoming a much debated topic, Delhi-based brand RogueNRags has come out with an accessory line created out of tyre tubes, silk scraps and commodity canvas bags. Priced at Rs 1,500 onwards, there are laptop bags, iPad covers and clutches to choose from. You can order from their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/
Roguenrags
Blast of Laughter
Diwali is hardly a day-long affair. Like all celebrations in India, its crackle and euphoria continue for a week. Theatre person Saleem Shah promises a blast of laughter with the Diwali Theatre Festival, scheduled for November 9-11. On successive days, the festival will feature Bhelpoori, a satire on love, politics and relationships; Ticket to Heaven, about a con man, a god-fearing man and his lovelorn wife, all of who fetch up at the pearly gates on a stormy night; and Tumney Bulaya aur Hum Chalein Aye, a play about a man and a woman who meet every year at the ?same time, same place? in Goa for 25 years. The festival will be held at Allaince Francaise.
Circle of Life
While diyas may be the spheres du jour, cupcakes are never far from Delhi?s mind. Catering to the city?s sweet obsession is Kishi Arora?s Foodaholics, which is churning out a bevy of the little beauties, at Rs 300 a pop, or even a crackle. The minimum order is for six cupcakes. With a flavour range exceeding the choice of firecrackers at your neighbourhood cracker fair, including a range of liquored lovelies, these cupcakes help you come full circle. You can order at Foodaholics.in
The Light-ness of Being
What is Diwali without diyas, candles and lights. All the lead heroes of animal kingdom come alive in a collection of tealight holders made by artisans from Rajasthan ? be it royal elephants or colourful camels. Available at Rs 450 onwards on http://www.indianartistsonline.com
Talking of lights, there are lampshades with traditional Indian embroideries such as shadow work and chikankari, and even with Warli art. Priced between Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,800, these are by a Mumbai-based brand called Shady Ideas, which retails from its Facebook page and from various shopping portals such as Jabong.com and Fabfurnish.com
Luck By Chance
Gamble your luck this Diwali with these Mughal-e-Azam-themed playing cards from Happily Unmarried. For, you never know when you may play yourself into a corner.
Goodies Galore
With the spirit of festivity and celebrations in the air, melas have already sprung up in various parts of the Capital. One of them is the annual Blind School Diwali Mela, held at Blind School Relief Association, Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, which offers a variety of gift items. Be it handmade chocolates, diyas, clothes, handicrafts or artificial jewellery, there?s something for everyone here. The carnival is on till November 1, between 10 am and 8 pm. Another curated festival called Tvisha, will be held at Zorba, MG Road, on November 1. The day-long celebrations will include performances, music, dance, flea market, kids corner, food and a healing lounge.
Vouch for This
Diwali is synonymous with spending days cleaning the house. But how about someone else doing it for you? Gifting house-cleaning vouchers to your friends and family ahead of Diwali is catching up in Delhi, where everyone is perpetually hard-pressed for time. Companies such as Klean Homz and Neat and Clean offer ?home spa? services in Delhi and NCR. For info, log on to http://www.kleanhomz.com or http://www.neatandclean.in
