Diwali is here and gifts are being exchanged among family and friends thick and fast.
In recent years, people have increasingly shown their concern for the environment, switching to eco-friendly gifts.
In Ahmedabad too, eco-friendly gifts have become the flavour this festive season. Everyone seems to be in ‘go green’ mode.
Rohini Mehta, an entrepreneur, has gone the extra mile this year to ensure exchange of sustainable gifts instead of the conventional sweet boxes. She has curated gift hampers, including cow dung diyas, a wooden tray, a ceramic cup, various plants, and plant seeds.
This hamper will be useful in daily life, and it costs around Rs 500-600. A conventional gift hamper from a professional would cost one around Rs 2,000.
To promote local artisans and products, many entrepreneurs are collaborating with local vendors to assemble these eco-friendly hampers, supporting the ‘local for vocal’ initiative.
Managing director of a company Amay Rastogi has also opted for eco-friendly gifts for his employees. “I am avoiding the usual sweets and chocolate boxes. This year, we have thought of sending a hamper of mini-Agnihotra, cow dung Diya, and cow dung Upla for Hawan,” he said.
Rastogi has given this gift hamper to approximately 135 people to encourage an eco-friendly Diwali, with each kit costing him around Rs 1,000. He says that eco-friendly items will enable in performing a 15 to 20-minute ‘hawan’ at home while cleansing and connecting with the environment.
Typically, the usual Diwali gift hampers range from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000, containing sweets, chocolates, candles and more.
A dairy startup has initiated an eco-friendly initiative with its “Diwali: Organic Wali” hampers, which consist of assorted maida-free cookies, homemade chocolates, nutribars, dry fruits, cow-dung powder, bee-wax-made diyas, cow-dung-made Ganesh and Laxmi idols, dhoop and incense sticks. The range of gift hampers is priced from Rs 400 to Rs 1,000.
