A Diwali gift for you, you, and you…
Editor’s note: The splainer fam has a cool, fun guide to Diwali gifting—for friends, family, colleagues, and kids—which isn't the cliché kaaju katli ka dabba or scented candles. And just in time for you to do some early shopping!
To pretty up the wardrobe…
- You can scarcely go wrong with a beautiful hand-crafted saree as a gift. Aakriti recommends checking out Six Yards Plus, who do some lovely pieces in cotton, silk, and organza.
- If you’d like to keep it traditional, Prachi recommends Kanakavalli that has a gorgeous collection of kanjivarams. They aren’t run-of-the-mill and different from the ones you’ll find at the saree stores.
- Scarves and shawls are the go-to present for the unimaginative. But Avani—which comes highly recommended by Diwita Mathivanan—has a gorgeous, one-of-a-kind collection. We love their ‘textiles with a conscience’ philosophy and are in shopping lust already.
- Aarthi recently stumbled upon Gypsy Maal which has some of the cleanest looking Indian silver jewellery—minimal, classic, budget friendly and of course super pretty and trendy.
To light up the home…
- Ursila recommends Kohana Homes—whose festive collection is a treasure trove of lamps, lanterns, and tea light holders. There’s also this delightful pair of blue birds made out of mesh wire.
- Revathy loves gifting people fun stuff they wouldn’t think of buying themselves. She prefers funky but practical home decor. This is where Nestasia comes into place—featuring cute table top lamps, diyas, and has a whole section for Diwali-themed gifts!
- Gazal loves this glassware brand Glass Forest. They have a gorgeous collection of table lamps, candle stands, and jars, etc.
If you have kids…
- Sweta is a big believer in library subscriptions—Kahaani Box for books, and The EleFant for toys. Her reason: “A library subscription exposes them to a greater variety, does not create clutter in the house and is easy on the parents pockets too.”
- Gazal has an excellent list of toy shops for toddlers and kids: Rattle & co, Birch and Bug, Play Chapter and Bloon Toys.
- Prachi suggests a personalised book from Talered. They’ll use your child’s name as a character and build a story around it. This one is for keepsakes.
If you’re gifting friends & colleagues…
- Gazal also suggests Dastkar—for table linen and craft pieces.
- Malvika prefers these homegrown—Good Earth, Claymen, Nicobar and Elementary—for table lamps, candlesticks, table decor, vase, garden decor, wine decanter, limited edition playing cards, et al. She finds them quite “tasteful”.
- Many Diwali parties are incomplete without a few rounds of Teen Patti, but games with just cash devolve into chaos over loose change. That’s why Raghav recommends this 300-piece poker chips set that he uses for festive card games.
- Nirmal enjoys collecting postcards and sending them. Whenever he can’t think of a gift for a friend’s birthday, or a special occasion, he goes old school, sending postcards. Daakvaak is a collective that curates and shares unknown stories, artworks and ideas from the subcontinent’s cultural heritage.
- Aakriti also highly recommends getting a customised taash set from Ashna & Esha—to liven up those Diwali parties. If you’ve got enough time on hand, you can also get a customised Monopoly game set for your pals.
If you’re visiting family…
- Uma suggests the curated gift boxes from Wishing Chair—which have a combination of crockery, tableware, candles and diffusers. She’s found the most “lovely creative quirky gifts” for most age groups on the site. Another plus is the packaging. The shop has physical stores in Bangalore, Gurgaon, Surat etc. Or you can order online.
- This is utility + luxury combined! Sourabh’s go-to for gifting is this teakwood home decor shop called Rusteak. He loves the idea that these items are really long lasting and would be cherished and bequeathed, becoming family heirlooms. There are a wide range of items to choose from—kitchen essentials to cabinets to furniture. Psst, they also offer bespoke services.
- JD shops at Azaadi because it has something for everyone—from soft jewllery for kids to home decor to DIY kits for making plant hangers.
- Ruchika loves these incense sticks from Phool which also align with sustainable goals during the festival time—as these are made from temple flowers that collect after it has been offered to the Gods.
If you want to give them eats…
- Jungly Delight: In case you want to get unique snackables, Namita has the perfect box to take to someone’s house. These snack bars are made out of superfood such as a mixture of oats, brown rice crisps and puffed jowar millets to make their healthy and delish treats.
- Aarthi has been sending Sweet Karam Coffee snacks to her friends and family for two years now. These are South Indian sweet and savoury items that can give a good takkar to Hot Chips! Madras Mixture and Adhirasam are total hits!!
- Jyotsna Sharma gives five stars to ToddlerBaker in Delhi if you want to keep your kids happy and sugar-free. All the ingredients are seasonal and locally sourced. And all of it is delicious.
