17 artisanal mithai makers across India who are here to make your Diwali sweeter
Festive indulgence doesn’t get tastier, or prettier than this!
During Diwali, traditional Indian sweets take centre stage—there’s no celebration without tables groaning with platters of glimmering kaju katlis and mountains of rotund, soft gulab jamuns. But while the norm, mithai has also fallen prey to being cliché—soan papdi, for example, is the unwanted sweet no one likes receiving as a gift. Thankfully, all of this is changing. Gone are the days when neighbourhood halwais ruled supreme during the festive season—churning out ghee-drenched ladoos, barfis, pedas and more from their tiny shops. Today artisanal mithaiwalas across the country have taken it upon themselves to give a modern twist to beloved Indian sweets—think upcycled ladoos with brewers spent grain flour as the star, barfis infused with berries or spiked with coffee, and jim jams with tahini and mango.
Here’s Bazaar India’s list of where to get your fix of gourmet mithai this festive season.
In Mumbai
Bombay Sweet Shop
Assorted Diwali Mithai - Box of 18, ₹1,350
Pistabarfi
Starting at ₹1,999.
Patasa
Gold Hamper, ₹2,850.
The Cinnamon Kitchen
Small Indian Mithai Box, ₹1,350
JW Marriott Juhu
Price upon request via JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu's Instagram handle.
In Delhi
Misree
Scarlet Square, ₹2,000
Khoya
Box of 16, ₹1,800.
Saugaat by Bikanervala
Price upon request via Saugaat by Bikanervala's Instagram handle.
Truffle & Co.
Box of assorted truffles, ₹1,500.
In Bangalore
Anand Sweets
Zephyr’s Aura, ₹1,225.
Saving Grains
Box of six upcycled laddoos, ₹250.
The Leela Bhartiya City, Bengaluru
Price upon request via The Leela Bhartiya City's Instagram handle.
Hilton Bengaluru
Classic Khushiyan box - 15 pieces, ₹975.
In Hyderabad
Barfi
Box of 24 laddoos, ₹2,400.
In Pune
The Mishti Box
Diwali Special Luxury Gift Box, ₹2,400.
In Jaipur
Kesar
Assorted Gourmet Sweets,₹1,349.
In Lucknow
Laung Elaichi
Assorted Bliss Box, ₹3,000.
Lead image: Bombay Sweet Shop