Festivals

DIWALI IS SERVED WITH LOVE

by Editorial Desk October 31 2026, 12:00 am Estimated Reading Time: 5 mins, 36 secs

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What Does It Mean to Eat Sustainably During Diwali? Diwali is as much about food as it is about light. Exploring India's rich festive food traditions, the changing meaning of authenticity, sustainability challenges and five businesses keeping regional culinary heritage alive.

There is something about Diwali that makes food almost as important as the lights themselves. Long before the first diya is lit, we begin preparing for the festival through the familiar rituals of the kitchen. There are laddoos being rolled, karanjis being filled, chaklis being fried, namakparas being stacked in steel containers and elaborate sweet boxes being assembled for friends, family, neighbours and business associates. The aroma of ghee, cardamom, roasted besan and freshly prepared savouries becomes part of the anticipation of the festival.

In India, food is rarely just sustenance. It is an expression of affection and community. During Diwali, it acquires an even deeper significance. A box of mithai is not merely a gift; it is a gesture of goodwill, a way of renewing relationships and sharing good fortune. The exchange of sweets is woven into the social fabric of the festival, cutting across generations, regions and communities.

And therein lies the extraordinary diversity of India's festive food culture. The Diwali table is not a single culinary tradition but a collection of regional histories. Maharashtra has its karanji, anarsa and chirote; Gujarat its ghughra, mohanthal and chakri; Rajasthan its ghewar and besan laddoo; Bengal its sandesh and other chhana-based delicacies; while South India has its adhirasam, murukku, Mysore pak and a range of rice and lentil-based preparations. The names and ingredients may change, but the impulse remains remarkably similar: to prepare, share and celebrate.

When authenticity meets the modern marketplace

Traditionally, Diwali preparations were largely domestic affairs. Recipes were inherited, ingredients were sourced locally and much of the cooking was done collectively. Women in families often carried the knowledge of measurements, techniques and preparation methods that were never formally written down.  

Today, the landscape is very different. Urban lifestyles, smaller households, working couples and the convenience economy have transformed festive food consumption. The neighbourhood halwai continues to be important, but organised sweet brands, artisanal confectioners, online platforms and premium gifting businesses have created a much larger marketplace.

The opportunity is considerable. Traditional sweets remain embedded in India's celebratory culture, while packaged offerings benefit from convenience, hygiene, improved distribution and changing consumer preferences. The market is also seeing greater experimentation with organic, vegan and alternative-sweetener products.

But this raises an important question: when does innovation enhance authenticity, and when does it dilute it?

Is authenticity necessarily sustainable?

This is where the conversation becomes more complicated. Traditional food preparation can offer several lessons in sustainability: seasonal ingredients, local sourcing, minimal processing, whole-ingredient cooking and the utilisation of recipes that evolved around regional agricultural produce.

Yet tradition is not automatically sustainable. The dairy-intensive nature of many Indian sweets carries a significant environmental footprint. Large-scale production requires milk, sugar, ghee, energy and water. Deep-frying involves substantial cooking oil, while festive overproduction can result in food waste. And the modern business of gifting often introduces layers of plastic, laminated cardboard, ribbons and decorative packaging that have little relationship to the food inside.

There is also the question of livelihoods. The halwai's knowledge, the small producer's enterprise, the farmer supplying ingredients and the local artisan making traditional snacks are all part of the food ecosystem. Sustainable food businesses need to recognise these people as much as they recognise the ingredients.

Sustainability should not become another premium label printed on a beautifully designed box. It must be visible in how a business sources, produces, packages and treats its people.

Five Indian food businesses keeping the festive appetite alive

Across India, businesses built around traditional food are discovering that heritage can be a powerful commercial proposition. Some have survived for generations by protecting recipes; others are reinventing familiar flavours for a new consumer. Their stories offer an interesting picture of how tradition and enterprise coexist.

Lakshmi Mishthan Bhandar (LMB), Jaipur – The legacy of the halwai Established in 1727, Lakshmi Mishthan Bhandar is one of Jaipur's best-known traditional sweet establishments. Its paneer ghewar, mishri mawa, doodh phirni and sohan halwa represent a culinary legacy that has travelled across generations. The business has expanded its offerings to more than 200 varieties, while retaining its association with traditional preparation and familiar flavours.

Moonlight – The Walnut Fudge Shop, Srinagar – A taste of Kashmir In Srinagar, Moonlight – The Walnut Fudge Shop has built its identity around a confection made from walnuts, honey and dates. The recipe dates back to 1896, when Ghulam Mohammed developed the sweet using ingredients associated with Kashmir. More than a century later, the family business continues to make walnut fudge, attracting tourists and customers who order it from across India.

Jhama Sweets, Mumbai – A legacy that travelled with migration The story of Jhama Sweets is also a story of displacement, enterprise and cultural continuity. Founded in 1948 by Jhamamal Lulla, a Sindhi migrant from Larkana, the business began in a tiny shop with just two products: gulab jamun and sev barfi. Nearly eight decades later, it has 11 company-owned outlets, online delivery across India and customers overseas.

Bombay Sweet Shop, Mumbai – Reinventing the mithai box A more contemporary approach comes from Bombay Sweet Shop. Part of the Hunger Inc. Hospitality group, the business takes familiar Indian sweets and gives them a new presentation and flavour vocabulary. Coffee paak, chocolate peda fudge, kaju-based creations and inventive combinations sit alongside traditional mithai.

Bikaji Foods, Bikaner – Taking regional flavours to scale  At the other end of the spectrum is Bikaji Foods. Rooted in Bikaner, the company has taken regional favourites such as Bikaneri bhujia, papad, namkeen and traditional sweets into the organised packaged-food market.

The future of the festive food table

Perhaps the biggest lesson from India's Diwali food traditions is that authenticity is not simply about preserving a recipe. It is about preserving the knowledge, relationships and cultural meanings that surround it.

The traditional halwai, the home cook, the regional food entrepreneur and the large packaged-food manufacturer all have a role in keeping this heritage alive. But they also have a responsibility to ensure that the business of celebration does not come at the cost of the environment or the communities that sustain it.

As we light our homes this Diwali, perhaps we could also pay attention to what is on our festive tables: where it comes from, who made it, what went into making it and how much of it we actually need. After all, the sweetest tradition of Diwali has never really been about the quantity of food we exchange. It has always been about the generosity with which we share it.