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Quick answer
Kolkata does not have one gifting day in autumn; it has a month of them. Bijoya visits begin after Dashami, Kali Puja falls on Diwali night, and Bhai Phonta follows. Anyone searching for diwali gift hampers kolkata is really planning for that whole stretch, and the timing matters as much as the box.
How does Kolkata’s festive month run?
After the immersion on Bijoya Dashami, families start their Bijoya rounds. The young touch the feet of elders, everyone embraces, and the visit is not complete without mishti on the table and something carried in the hand. For years that something was a box of sandesh. More families now bring dry fruit for elders, because it keeps through a month of visits and does not need the fridge the way sweets do.
Then comes Kali Puja. In Bengal, Diwali night is the night of Kali Puja, with lamps on every parapet, pandals for Ma Kali and crackers until late. It is a household and neighbourhood night more than a gifting one, but the Marwari business families of Burrabazar and Alipore keep Lakshmi puja and the new account books the same evening, and their gifting is in full swing.
Bhai Phonta closes the season. Sisters put the sandalwood phonta on their brothers’ foreheads and brothers bring gifts, and dry fruit sits naturally on that plate. Our Bhai Dooj dry fruit gifts page covers that day in more detail.
The Blue Paisley is a three-jar carry case, lighter than our suitcase boxes but still arriving as an object rather than a carton. It suits Bijoya visits: easy to carry through a round of six or seven homes in a day, and three jars, say kaju, badam and kishmish, are what a Bengali elder will actually open.
Who orders in Kolkata, and from where?
- Salt Lake Sector V and New Town Rajarhat: IT and services companies with large staff lists and a firm Diwali handover.
- Park Street, Camac Street and Shakespeare Sarani: head offices, banks and professional firms with a senior client list.
- BBD Bag and Dalhousie: older trading houses, shipping and insurance firms, often gifting on the Lakshmi puja evening.
- Burrabazar: Marwari trading families sending to brokers, bankers and buyers across the region.
- Homes across south and north Kolkata: Bijoya and Bhai Phonta gifts for parents, in-laws and elders.
Which visit needs which kind of box?
| Visit | Who receives it | Fill that goes down well |
|---|---|---|
| Bijoya round | Elders in the family | Kaju, badam, kishmish |
| Lakshmi puja evening, Burrabazar | Clients and bankers | Jumbo kaju, Mamra badam, pista, anjeer |
| Sector V team handover | Every employee | Kaju and badam |
| Bhai Phonta | Brother or sister | Medjool khajur, akhrot, pista |
The Diya Blossom is a four-jar rope hamper in ivory with a diya pattern, made for Diwali. It suits the Lakshmi puja and Kali Puja evening: a client in Burrabazar or a family friend in Ballygunge receives four jars of the full spread in a hamper that matches a night of lamps.
How do you keep dry fruit fresh in Kolkata’s damp air?
Kolkata stays humid well into November, and a box that sits in a damp room picks up softness quickly once opened. Every item is weighed and sealed the day it is packed, so the box arrives closed. After that:
- Bring cartons indoors the day they arrive and keep them off the floor.
- Do not open several jars at once. Finish one, then open the next.
- Keep akhrot and pista in the fridge once open; kaju and badam are fine in a tightly shut jar.
- Anjeer softens in humid air. If it feels sticky, a few days in the fridge firms it again. Our guide on how to buy anjeer covers what good figs look like.
When should you order for Bijoya and Diwali in Kolkata?
Diwali and Kali Puja fall on Sunday 8 November 2026. We dispatch within three working days of the order being settled, and most cities receive it two to six days after. For Diwali, order about two weeks before you need the boxes. Bijoya visits come first, so those orders need settling now.
| Occasion | Settle the order by |
|---|---|
| Bijoya visits in the last week of October | Wednesday 14 October |
| Sector V and Park Street office handover | Wednesday 21 October |
| Lakshmi puja and Kali Puja evening | Friday 23 October |
| Bhai Phonta, in the days after Kali Puja | Tuesday 27 October |
Questions people ask
Is dry fruit a suitable Bijoya gift instead of mishti?
Yes, and many families bring both. Dry fruit lasts through the whole round of visits, which sweets rarely do.
Can the greeting card be written in Bengali?
Yes. The card is in your own words, so a Bijoya or Shubho Deepavali greeting in Bangla goes in as you send it.
Where can I buy dry fruits in Kolkata for home?
The page for buying dry fruits in Kolkata lists the shelf and how city delivery works.
We deliver across India See 87 city pages
Written at our counter, where these questions get asked every week.
