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Citizens’ group sends homemade Diwali faral to soldiers guarding borders
Traditional Maharashtrian delicacies such as chivda, chakli, ladoo and shankarpali were prepared and packed into boxes by citizens; and sent to soldiers
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A citizens’ group from Pune and Mumbai has sent homemade Diwali faral (festive snacks) to Indian soldiers deployed along the country’s borders, bringing a touch of festive warmth to personnel stationed thousands of kilometres away from their families. Traditional Maharashtrian delicacies such as chivda, chakli, ladoo and shankarpali were prepared and packed into boxes by citizens; and sent to soldiers serving in border regions including Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.
The initiative has been undertaken for nearly 20 years by members of the Anamprem citizens’ group, who come together every year to prepare the snacks with their own hands. The faral is packed into boxes and dispatched to various locations along the country’s borders. Apart from Army personnel, the group has also sent festive snacks to members of the Navy and Air Force posted at select locations.
This year, the faral was made over the past two weeks and dispatched from Pune and Mumbai on November 2. Nitin Panse, a member of the group, said, “Our soldiers leave their families behind and remain stationed in difficult conditions to protect the country. Through this initiative, we want them to feel that the two morsels of faral that they enjoy during Diwali have come from a home filled with love and affection. We appeal to citizens to come forward and prepare homemade Diwali snacks for soldiers every year. Even a small gesture of love can make a difference to someone who is spending the festival far away from their family.”
The boxes also contain handwritten Diwali greeting cards prepared by children and other family members. These messages are intended to convey gratitude, affection and good wishes to the soldiers, reminding them that people back home remember and appreciate their sacrifices.
The snacks are prepared by group members across Pune, Mumbai, Lonavla, Sangli, Kolhapur, Amravati and Goa among other places. Members said that special care is taken while preparing the food, with the process accompanied by prayers and devotional hymns. They believe that food prepared with personal involvement and affection carries a special emotional connection, which they hope reaches every soldier receiving the faral.
Archana Mali, a group member from Lonavla, said, “We from the Anamprem group also send greeting cards made by children and family members along with the faral every year. This gives soldiers an opportunity to receive personal messages and festive wishes from people they may never have met but who deeply value their service to the nation.”
