Lohri 2022: Get gajjak, rewari, home delivered, support local vendors

Delhiites aren’t stepping out much, due to rising Covid cases, but when it comes to buying gajjak, rewari and popcorn for Lohri, everything is being home delivered. So don’t forget to call the local vendors and make it a Happy Lohri for them. too!

What’s Lohri without rewari, moongphali or gur patti, gajjak, popcorn and all the other winter special Indian confectioneries? If you are wondering how safe it is to venture outdoors and buy your annual supply of these Lohri specific goodies, amid the rising Covid cases in the city, then fear not! You can refrain from being at any of the crowded place, and yet get your stash as quite a few local vendors are home delivering these.

Local vendors selling gajjak, rewari and popcorn claim that their sales have been low this year.

In fact, this might also do good to their businesses, since Covid has immensely impacted their livelihood. Some small yet famous shops tucked in the bylanes of Old Delhi’s Kinari Bazar will sure fulfil your gajjak cravings. One of them is Premchand Gupta from Subedar & Sons (Gajak and Rewari), who can be spotted busy packing orders, which are coming in from across NCR, ahead of the festival. “Hum order phone pe le rahe hain aur phir pack karke tayaar rakhte hain. Bahut saari log delivery app pe riders ko bhej ke saaman collect karwa lete hain. Hum khud bhi booking karke deliver karwa dete hain, aur online wallets se payment bhi easily ho paa rahi hai,” says Gupta, adding, “Har saal log 7-8 kilo ka saaman ek sath le lete the Lohri ke ek din pehle aur Lohri ke din bhi. Iss saal toh dukaan har dusre din khul rahi hai Covid ke chakkar mein toh hum kum maal bana paa rahe hain. Toh sale bhi pehle jaise nahi hui abhi tak.”

Ram Sewak, who mans a popcorn cart in Ashok Vihar’s Deep Market, says, “Iss saal toh sale bahut hi kam hai, yeh Corona ki wajah se log bilkul baahar nahi nikalna chahte. Leken Lohri ke time pe kuch aisi cheezein hoti hain jo logo ko leni hi hoti hain sagan ya reet karne ke liye. Toh popcorn ki booking ke liye bahut log phone kar rahe hain. Koi agar humein 8-10 packet ka order de raha hai, to hum unke ghar par jaake deke ayenge usi din fresh. Pichle saal toh hum pura din busy the. Iss saal bhi ho jaye aisa toh badiya hojayega tyohar.”

And Rajmani, who sells gajak and rewris on a push cart in the same area, adds: “Dus saal se kaam kar raha hun, par inta kum saaman kabhi bhi nai bika. Iss saal Lohri par hi kuch umeed hai sale hone ki. Online shopping toh sab karte hain, humse bhi shopping kar lein toh humare bachchon ki Lohri achchi man jayegi.”

Rajmani, a rewari and gajjak seller in north Delhi’s Ashok Vihar rues that the sales this year have been lesser than last 10 years.

It’s safe to say that peanuts are as important to bring in the Lohri vibe as the peanut chikki/gur patti. Ram Narayan, who owns a peanut cart in Shalimar Bagh, shares, “Main saath saal se yahi par mungphali ki redi laga raha hun. Par pehli baar hai ki Lohri se pehle itni kum bikri hui hai. Itni kam toh pichle saal bhi nahi thi. Vaise toh ahcha hai ki log bahar nahi nikal rahe, Corona bimari ko bhagana zaruri hai. Par hum jaise logon ka kaam sardiyon ka hi hota hai. Isliye ek hi jagah khadhe rehne ki bajaye ab apna number WhatsApp pe bhejna churu kar diya hai logon ko, is umeed me ki shayad log ghar bulake khareed lein.”

And amid other hopefuls is Ram Vir, who sells shakarkandi (sweet potato) chaat in Wazirpur. “Har saal Lohri ke time par jab log gajak wagehra lene nikalte hain toh humari banayi chaat ki khoob bikri hoti hai. Pichle saal tak kum se kum 10 kilo chaat har Lohri pe banani padhti thi, aur sab bik jati thi. Kayi log shaam ko Lohri ka function karte the aur humse chaat leke jate the. Par iss saal un sabka aana mushkil lag rha hai... Waise toh mein logon ke gharon tak nahi jaata tha, sab maal yahin bik jata tha, par is bar koi bulaye toh ghar pe garma garam chaat deke aane ko mai tyyar hun! Ab corona zyada hai toh log bhi kaise hi ayenge,” he says.

Author tweets @anjuri

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