From ‘kaju katli’ to cranberry laddoo, Pune’s Diwali ‘faral’ keeps evolving

Kaju katli is king

At Karachi Sweets, a Pune institution now run by the fifth generation of the family, the festive frenzy starts early in the day and continues well into the night. With branches in Kalyani Nagar, M G Road (Camp) and Kharadi, the shop’s menu stretches from Bengali sweets, milk sweets, jaggery, and dry fruit varieties to newer favourites like chocolate and sugar-free sweets, and even baklava.

“The most in-demand items? Always kaju katli and motichur laddoo,” smiles Pradeep Tripathi, who has been managing the Kharadi counter for over two decades. “People experiment with KitKat ruffle, pista barfi, even fig rolls, but when it comes to gifting, they go back to kaju katli. It’s pure nostalgia packed in silver foil.”

He adds that the shop has started offering sugar-free variants and compact mini gift boxes to cater to the city’s growing corporate orders.

Cranberry and khajur

Across town, Mulchand Sweets in Camp is seeing its own rush of customers. Known for its mix of traditional and dry fruit sweets — such as rose dry fruit laddoo, dry fruit choconuts, badam-khajur rolls, and anjeer bites — the shop is a go-to for those who like a balance of indulgence and innovation.

“We have introduced cranberry and blueberry rolls for the Diwali edit, but besan laddoo and kaju katli are always the bestsellers,” says Deepesh Sethiya. “During Diwali, people still prefer the classics, but the modern twists are catching up. The staff begins preparations early in the morning, churning out over 100 kilos of sweets daily.”

No guilt trips

But while the big names dominate the festive rush, some sweet makers are carving their own niche. Abhishek Damle, 33, who runs Damle Yanche Ladduworld in Kothrud, represents the second generation of a business started by his father in 1992. They sell over 24 varieties of laddoos — from rava and besan to dink (gondh), dry fruit, sugar-free, and jaggery-based versions — nearly 150 kg a day during the festive season.

“People want to celebrate without guilt,” he says. “Our traditional besan laddoos remain bestsellers, but the jaggery and sugar-free ones are catching up fast. We’ve managed to keep the taste of tradition, just a little lighter.” Damle supplies both B2C and B2B clients with custom hampers and portion-controlled boxes for modern buyers.

Home sweet home

As sweet shops in Pune see a frenzy of crowds, local home kitchens are just as busy — reimagining age-old indulgences with a healthy twist. Bake Pure by Megha, a homegrown brand, has turned Diwali into a celebration of mindful sweetness with creations like baked gurpare, ragi dry fruit laddoos, gulkand almond muffins, ragi-cranberry brownies, whole-wheat naan katai, almond-pista barfi, dark chocolate seed bars, and almond-cranberry granola. All her treats are gluten-free, vegan, eggless, and free from refined sugar.

“Healthy doesn’t mean boring,” smiles Megha, who started experimenting with festive recipes during the lockdown. “I wanted to keep our Diwali flavours alive — just lighter and cleaner. My aim is simple: to bake pure, without taking away the joy of a good mithai.”

Meanwhile in Bibvewadi, Lata Shah has spent the past week frying chakli, shaping karanjis, and roasting chiwada in pure ghee.

“For me, Diwali begins with the smell of the first batch of shankarpali,” she says, smiling. “There’s a special joy in making faral at home — it’s not just about taste, it’s about tradition and love. When guests visit, serving homemade snacks brings a warmth no shop-bought sweet can match.”

For some others, the sweetness travels even farther. Bharti Jain in Salisbury Park has spent the week carefully making and packing her daughter’s favourite chakli and anarsa to ship to Belgium. “It’s not just food — it’s emotion,” she says. “My daughter can’t come home for Diwali, so every year I send her snacks. My grandson loves karanji and enjoys all the Diwali treats.”

And even as Pune’s health-conscious crowd experiments with ragi laddoos, the heart of the festival remains timeless — a box of kaju katli shared with love.

(Neha Rathod is an intern with The Indian Express)