Every Diwali has its own rhythm — the fragrance of fresh rangoli powder, the hum of a temple bell at dawn, and the sound of laughter echoing through homes. It is a season when families reconnect, cities glow, and gifts carry the warmth of shared history.
Among the many treats that mark this time of year, one has become inseparable from Pune’s festive identity: Babus Laxminarayan Best Chiwda.
Founded in 1945 in the heart of Pune’s Bhawani Peth, Babus Laxminarayan Best Chiwda began as a humble handcart business selling freshly roasted snacks. Over the decades, it has grown into a household name while preserving the same recipe, roasting technique, and unmistakable aroma that generations have loved. Today, the brand reaches homes across India and abroad, serving over 10 lakh festive gift boxes every year.
This Diwali, Babus Laxminarayan Best Chiwda celebrates that legacy with a trio of festive offerings — the Classic Gift Box, the Grand Gift Box, and the newly introduced Festive Five Gift Box — each designed to bring authentic Pune flavours to the center of your celebration.
Gifting During Diwali: Where Faith Meets Food
The tradition of gifting during Diwali is as old as the festival itself. Ancient texts such as the Skanda Purana describe Diwali as a time when families exchanged food, oil lamps, and sweets as tokens of goodwill. Even today, nearly 80 percent of Indian households gift food items during Diwali, according to a 2024 FICCI retail study.
Food gifts endure because they carry emotion rather than extravagance. They symbolise abundance, gratitude, and the belief that what is shared multiplies in blessing. From trays of sweets in North India to farsan boxes in Maharashtra, these offerings transform homes into spaces of hospitality and joy.
For Puneites, Babus Laxminarayan Best Chiwda has long been part of that ritual. A tin of its crisp, golden flakes often sits beside laddoos and pedhas, reminding everyone that celebration is best enjoyed with something savoury and familiar.
The Festive Five Gift Box: A Celebration of Taste and Togetherness
The Festive Five Gift Box brings a blend of sweet and savoury delights — a thoughtful reflection of how every Diwali spread balances both.
Each box includes:
- Cornflakes Chiwda – Crunchy and golden, roasted with the signature Babus spice blend for a perfectly balanced bite.
- Poha Chiwda – The timeless classic made from flattened rice, peanuts, and curry leaves for a light yet flavourful crunch.
- Potato Chiwda – Crisp and mildly salted, ideal for evening gatherings or fasting days.
- Patal Poha Chiwda – A finer, more delicate version of the classic chiwda, lighter on the palate and distinctly Puneri.
- Kaju Katli (Sweet) – A touch of indulgence that completes the festive platter with sweetness and sophistication.
This blend of traditional namkeen and mithai captures the full spirit of Diwali — harmony, variety, and generosity. Every pack is vacuum-sealed for freshness and travel convenience, making it ideal for gifting across India or abroad.
The Classic and Grand Gift Boxes: Pune’s Favourites, Reimagined
While the Festive Five celebrates variety, the Classic and Grand Gift Boxes focus on the signature trio that built the brand’s legacy — Cornflakes Chiwda, Poha Chiwda, and Potato Chiwda.
- The Classic Gift Box features 250-gram packs of each variety, perfect for small gatherings, office gifting, or compact hampers.
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The Grand Gift Box includes the same trio in 500-gram packs, designed for families and large celebrations.
Both boxes retain Babus Laxminarayan Best Chiwda’s timeless authenticity — hand-roasted ingredients, balanced seasoning, and the distinctive crunch that defines BEST chiwda. The golden-red festive packaging adds an elegant touch, echoing the traditional tones of Maharashtrian torans and diyas.
Crafting a Legacy by Hand
What sets Babus Laxminarayan Best Chiwda apart is its dedication to handmade processes. Each batch is roasted in small quantities under careful supervision to maintain uniform texture and aroma.
The original recipe documented by founder Shri Laxminarayanji Data remains at the core of production. The brand continues to rely on slow roasting and minimal processing, ensuring every bite delivers the same flavour that Pune fell in love with eight decades ago.
Over the years, this commitment has earned Babus a loyal following across continents. From Pune households to Indian communities in the United States and the Middle East, the brand’s products are now enjoyed by over five million customers annually, especially during festive months.
Why Traditional Snacks Still Rule the Festive Table
In an era of gourmet chocolates and imported sweets, traditional namkeen continues to dominate festive gifting. Data from Nielsen (2023) shows India’s savoury snacks market grew by 12 percent year-on-year, led by heritage products like chiwda and farsan.
Chiwda’s versatility makes it the ideal festive snack. It lasts longer than sweets, travels easily, and pairs beautifully with tea, coffee, or festive beverages. For many, the familiar aroma of roasted poha and spices signals that Diwali has truly arrived.
Beyond taste, chiwda connects people to their roots. For Puneites abroad, opening a Babus Laxminarayan Best Chiwda box is like opening a memory — of childhood homes, late-night conversations, and streets lined with lanterns and diyas.
Thoughtful Gifting, Sustainably Made
Each Babus Laxminarayan Best Chiwda box is made from recyclable paperboard, part of the brand’s 2022 initiative to reduce plastic packaging by 25 percent. The clean design, minimal waste, and reusable containers make these boxes both eco-friendly and elegant.
The brand also takes pride in local employment — nearly 60 percent of its workforce consists of women from surrounding Pune communities, many of whom represent second-generation artisans continuing the same craft their mothers once practiced.
Choosing Babus Laxminarayan Best Chiwda as a gift means supporting a legacy of craftsmanship, community, and conscious business.
A Box That Tells a Story
Every bite of Babus Laxminarayan Best Chiwda tells a story of resilience and flavour — of how a simple idea from 1945 grew into a tradition loved across the world.
The Festive Five Gift Box blends sweetness with spice, the Classic box offers convenience and warmth, and the Grand box delivers abundance.
Together, they remind us that the essence of Diwali lies not just in celebration but in connection — in gifting something that carries both taste and emotion.
So, this year, when you light your diyas and plan your gifts, choose something that speaks your language of tradition. Choose Babus Laxminarayan Best Chiwda — because some gifts never lose their flavour.
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