Lohri celebrations: Redefining invitations the modern way

Our Correspondent

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Mandi Ahmedgarh, January 11

Customised packing has emerged as a latest trend for sending invitation cards to celebrate Lohri in the area.

Gachak, rewri and bhugga still retain front position in content, but style of packing has seen variations.

Unlike earlier trend when people used to celebrate Lohri with family members and close relatives at their homes, the event now witnesses a change in the budget as well as venue too. Method of invitation has also changed from verbal messages to stylish packing, containing variety of eatables and other items of daily use.

Attractive boxes, carrying pictures of kites and string, potlis and baskets have almost replaced traditional packing in cardboard boxes. Invitation cards too have seen a drastic change.

Bimal Sharma and Chanan Chaudhary, retail sellers of sweets and confectionary items, claimed that packing had become all the more important than quality and variety of eatables during special festival seasons, including Lohri. “Earlier, people used to come and order certain number of boxes of rewaris, gachak or bhugga to be presented with an invitation card. But now people stress on the type of packing too,” said Sharma.

Some even bring their own packing boxes and fill them up with the materials of their choice, added Chaudhary.

Rakesh Shahi, a dealer in packing material items, said people wanted to enhance value and emotion of the invitation by focusing on style of packing. Shahi said customised packing had become a fashion and suppliers were finding it difficult to satisfy the quest of buyers from modern and prosperous families. “At times, we have to shuttle between the manufacturing unit and the residence of purchaser for getting the final samples of packing boxes approved,” said Shahi, maintaining that the input cost had increased due to the wastage of materials in designing.

It is learnt that some affluent families choose to send expensive toys, consumer durables and silver coins to their closest friends and relatives to express higher cordial effusion.