The aroma of freshly fried chakli, crisp shankarpali and homemade karanjis has long been associated with Diwali preparations in Maharashtrian households. However, as lifestyles change and time becomes increasingly limited, this age-old household tradition is finding a new place in marketplaces. For Nirmala, who has been preparing and selling faral from her home for the past eight to ten years, the journey has taken her preparations much farther than she had ever imagined. Working independently, she makes a wide range of traditional delicacies, including chakli, anarse, chivda, sev, karanji, shankarpali and different varieties of laddoos. Diwali is her busiest season, although she also accepts orders during the rest of the year depending on demand. Many customers purchase faral for their children and family members living abroad, particularly in Canada and Dubai.

 

“I had learnt to prepare faral as part of my household routine. It feels satisfying to see something I make at home becoming a part of someone’s Diwali celebrations,” she said. Another approach comes from Sneha Dhale, who has been running a home-based faral business for around eight years. She started the venture during the Diwali following her wedding and works alongside her mother-in-law. Rather than selling only ready-made snacks, she prepares premixes that allow customers to make traditional faral at home with greater ease.

 

Her products include premixes for shankarpali, chakli and anarse, along with specially prepared mixes for chivda. For Rupali Gajre, faral-making has grown into a year-round home-based business since she started the venture during Ganeshotsav two years ago. She prepares faral at home and operates a cloud kitchen. Her faral has found takers in Germany and US. To manage the seasonal rush, she brings in additional women to help. Speaking about the satisfaction of being part of someone’s celebrations, she said, “It feels good knowing that someone’s festival is complete because of what we prepare. Seeing people happy gives me happiness too. If you want to make people happy, food is one of the easiest ways to do it.”