Durga Puja is celebrated all over the place with a lot of enthusiasm and show. During this time, exchange of puja greetings and gifts is also a followed custom. But what to gift always remains a big question. Offering gifts not only makes the celebration double fold, it also brings joy to the loved ones. With a couple of days to go before Puja, Orissa POST caught up with a few women to know their gift plans.
Sumitra Das from Bhadrak says, “Who doesn’t like gifts? They being the most sought after items during festivity, the sellers leave nothing to chance to woo their customers offering fat discounts and lucrative schemes. Though an array of gifts are on the offing, I always like to gift my friends and relatives with sweets and chocolates. Sweets are considered auspicious and I wish that sweetness spread into their lives to those it is gifted. Besides, we distribute sweets to celebrate our success and on other festive occasions since time immemorial. These days, you can get a large variety of sweets in the market. You can also envelope the sweet packs with beautiful wrappers at vendor’s place according to your choice. Therefore, I have decided to offer my acquaintances with big sweet packets on this Puja. This will also make my husband and in-laws happy. Besides, Sumitra wants to treat some of her close kin with chocolates in Big B’s style of ‘Kuch Mitha Ho Jaye’ in a popular commercial.
Chinmayee Palai, a homemaker from Chennai says “Dussehra is primarily a religious festival and you would do well to gift stuff like gold or silver coins with images of Goddess Durga, Goddess Lakshmi or Maa Shakti engraved on them. I have bought some coins and will gift them to my family members as I believe this will bring joy and prosperity to my home. For kids, I have bought toys so that they can also have a good time.”
Kolkata-based homemaker Sushmita Biswal Mallick says “I consider apparels to be indispensable gifts for any festive occasion. Gifting new clothes to the closed ones during festivity is also a universal tradition. So, for Durga Puja, I have bought saris for my mom and sisters. Keeping their taste in mind, I have got sherwanis for my husband and cousins. So far, he has no knowledge that I have shopped something for him. I will surprise him by presenting the gifts on Asthami. Now, I am eagerly waiting to know what he has bought for me this Dussehra.”
Banker Subhadra Rath says, “Dussehra is one of those special occasions when you can buy jewellery for a select few – your mother, sister, or sweetheart. This Dussehra I have bought gold pedants for my mother as ornaments are something that can be gifted to special ones. I have also purchased a gold bracelet for my younger brother. To make them look ethnic on the grand occassion, I have picked up sherwanis for my loving husband and father.”
Puja gifts are also always available online and a touch of customisation always changes the effect of any gift that you offer. Subhadra, therefore, has planned to offer sweets, chocolates, a dry fruit box, perfume and a greeting card to her best friend who lives in Singapore to catch her by surprise.
RASHMI REKHA DAS, OP