Mention Teej, which is approaching on July 23, and the next word that comes to the mind is ghewar! The popular disc-shaped sweet dish from Rajasthan has its own fan following among North Indian dwellers such as those from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and of course, Delhi.
Malai ghewar, mawa or plain ghewar — all variants are so tempting that their demand hasn’t reduced even amid the corona scare. Popular sweet shops in Delhi-NCR have reportedly been experiencing a decent demand for ghewar, which has left even the halwais surprised. A salesperson at Gopala, a popular dairy and sweet shop in Delhi-NCR, says they have been selling 15-20 ghewar/per day. “Jisko lena hain, woh le lete hain. Ab tyohar hai to log ghewar to khayenge hi... Teej ya Rakhi ghewar mithai ke bina kahan manti hai,” he says while manning the Gurugram outlet.
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Echoing similar sentiments, Sanjay Aggarwal, from Shyam Sweets, Chandni Chowk, says, “Jabse lockdown khula hai, waise orders kam ho gaye hain par ghewar log phir bhi khareed rahe hai. Farak itna hai ki ab log bada order directly nahi de rahe. They are buying in smaller quantities. For instance, people who bought 1kg earlier, are now buying half a kilo. Aisa shayad is liye ki logon ki jeb main paise utne nahin hain abhi... Pehle 15 din pehle tayari shuru ho jati thi, is saal ek hafte pehle hi hui hai.”
Talking about how goodwill matters, Ramesh, from Nathu Sweets, New Friends Colony, says, “We are selling about 40 to 50 pieces of ghewar on a daily basis. Jinko wishwas hain ki hum achchi cheez hi banate hain, woh lene aa rahe hain, ya ghar se order kar dete hain toh we deliver.”
It’s true that one can’t ignore sweets in the festive season. “I did buy ghewar from Harish Bakery in Sector 7, Gurugram,” says Nupur Agarwal Kalra, a food and lifestyle blogger, adding, “That is the first time I bought food from outside in the last four months. Initially I had reservations, but it was a prompt decision as I was passing by the sweet shop and this being the start of the festive season, the sweets were just irresistible to give a miss.”
But precautionary measures do cross the mind of many before making a purchase. Gurugram-based home chef Shahla Ahmed says, “I have plans to buy malai ghewar from two of my favourite sweet shops. I trust them to be taking care of hygiene and safety.” Whereas Sakshi Jain, a Gurugrammer who travelled all the way to Old Delhi to get her favourite ghewar, confesses, “We bought ghewar from the famous Chaina Ram in Old Delhi. We were a little apprehensive for sure, so we sanitised the outer box and then threw away the entire packing once we reached home. Once it landed in our mouth, the taste surpassed all our worries.”
“I’m glad that people are still appreciating ghewar this year. As soon as July began, people started calling us to ask ‘When will you open?’ It meant people haven’t forgotten us. It feels good to be loved.” – Kunal Balani, partner, Chaina Ram Sindhi Confectioners
Kunal Balani, one of the partners at Chaina Ram Sindhi Confectioners, informs that their sales have been “decent”. He adds: “Everything has been affected because of the coronavirus. We have taken a hit of 50 to 60%. But, I’m glad that people are still appreciating ghewar this year. As soon as July began, people started calling us to ask ‘When will you open?’ It meant people haven’t forgotten us. It feels good to be loved, and see people appreciate your sweets. People might have reduced the quantity of their purchase, but they are buying.”
Author tweets @Nainaarora8
