Diwali 2016: Send Diwali 'faral' across globe in 4 days

PUNE: This Diwali, no expat will miss out on his/her Diwali goodies. Snack sellers and courier companies have teamed up to ensure people get their favourite 'faral' (snacks for festival) in four days, in any part of the world.
Fast delivery and smart deals have relatives thronging these stores like never before, with some stores shipping close to 300 parcels a day.
Desai Bandhu Ambewale, which have three outlets in the city, have tied up with a courier company this year so that customers do not have to dilly dally between different shippers. "We have the highest demand from the US, the UK, Canada, Japan, Italy, Switzerland and the UAE. People directly purchase 'faral' from us and are then directed to the courier stall in our store to expedite the shipping formalities," said Mandar Desai of Desai Bandhu Ambewale.
The tie-up has ensured all customers get low-priced courier options. For instance, the price to send a kilo of snacks to the US is Rs 525 (inclusive of taxes). For a shipment to UK, the delivery cost is Rs 300 a kg. "We have pre-packed lip-smacking goodies for different countries. All that the customer has to do is to choose from a wide-range of goodies. The best part is that the shipment reaches its destination in four days. Earlier, shipping process would take an entire week," said Desai. The store is currently shipping close to 300 such parcels each day for Diwali.
Palande Courier Pvt Ltd has tied up with two other popular courier companies in the city to accelerate the shipping process. Last Diwali, the company shipped 900 packages abroad. This year, they have already shipped 500 and expect to send many more. "What is selling most is the traditional moti-choor laddu, followed by chakli, dry fruits and chivda. We see the highest demand from the US, followed by the UK, the UAE, Australia and New Zealand. The overall demand from other countries for Puneri faral has risen by 15% this Diwali," said Sachin Kenjale, of the courier firm.
Kenjale said the company is offering a good deal. "During the off-season, it costs Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 to ship a one-kg package abroad. This Diwali, one can send a similar package for Rs 600," said Kenjale.
Kishor Sarpotdar of the Poona Guest House said that courier companies have expedited the process of shipping faral to other countries this time. "The quick three-day delivery has been a tantalizing option for customers. The number of Indians migrating to countries like the US and UK has increased over the years. The Maharashtrian population in these countries has especially bloomed. This is one reason why the demand for local faral has risen this year," said Sarpotdar, who has delivered the faral prepared at his store to countries like England, Australia and UAE.
Though the Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale have not tied up with any courier company, the managers make sure to hand-out courier pamphlets to relatives who wish to ship stuff abroad. "People do not make Diwali snacks at home like they used to before. The demand for ready-made 'faral' has therefore gone up by 20% this year. Each customer buys close to 5 kg for their relatives abroad, which means that we are currently selling close to 50 kgs of faral for overseas customers," said a store representative of Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale.
The demand in the local market has risen too as the tradition of making faral at home is fading. The Poona Merchants Chamber, which sells ladoos and chivda at affordable prices during Diwali, has prepared 2.5 lakh kg of Diwali faral this time. "We started selling it from October 23 and have already sold 25,000 kgs in a day," said Popatlal Ostwal, ex-president of Poona Merchants Chamber.
The apex body does not ship its faral to other countries because the local demand every year is too high to meet. The increasing faral prices have not deterred customers from buying these traditional snacks, said Ostwal. Faral prices have risen as chana dal has become costlier, he said.