It's Diwali, and to celebrate the festival, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited Ghantewala, one of Delhi's oldest and most iconic sweet shops.
The shop, established in 1790 in Old Delhi, has a rich history and is believed to have served multiple generations of India's political leaders, including Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi.
On Monday, the owner welcomed Rahul Gandhi, saying the shop used to send sweets on his father Rajiv Gandhi's birthday and other celebrations.
During the visit, Gandhi was taken to an imarti-making station, where the chef showed him the traditional process. Imarti is a sweet from Uttar Pradesh, made by deep-frying a batter of urad dal in flower-like patterns and soaking it in sugar syrup. Gandhi put on an apron and tried his hand at making Imartis.
The Rae Bareli MP and the shop owner discussed the art of sweet-making. The owner said, "There is no department in India that trains sweet makers."
Gandhi responded, "But why not? There is no respect for this craft." The owner explained that while cooks are called chefs, sweet makers are called halwai, despite being "torchbearers of mithai."
Gandhi also tried frying besan (gram flour) halwa and forming laddoos, commenting, "Not easy," as he worked. He talked about the effort behind sweets, saying, "You eat sweets, but you don't think about how they came here. It involves the work of farmers, workers, and the artisans themselves."
Sharing his experience on X, he wrote, "I tried my hand at making Imarti and Besan Laddus at the famous and historic Ghantewala sweet shop in Old Delhi. The sweetness of this centuries-old prestigious shop remains the same even today, pure, traditional, and heart-touching. The true sweetness of Diwali lies not just in the platter, but also in relationships and society. Tell us all, how are you celebrating your Diwali, and how are you making it special?"
Ghantewala
Established by Lala Sukh Lal Jain, Ghantewala is one of Delhi's oldest sweet shops. At the time, Shah Alam II was the nominal Mughal Emperor, the British East India Company had begun consolidating its influence, and Lutyens' Delhi remained largely undeveloped.
The shop gradually became known as Ghantewala, with tales suggesting the name originated either from the emperor's favourite elephant, which would stop and ring a bell outside the shop until fed sweets, or from the bell-ringer (ghantawala) of the Red Fort, who was an ardent patron.
Renowned for traditional Indian confections such as Sohan Halwa, Ghantewala closed in July 2015 due to declining sales, legal complications, and regulatory restrictions imposed by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee.
In August 2024, the eighth-generation owner, Sushant Jain, in collaboration with his cousin Aryan Jain, reopened the shop at its original Chandni Chowk location.
