Budget Halwa: An enduring tradition that promises to keep India’s budget ‘safe and guarded’

BI India BureauJan 22, 2019, 12:04 IST

Like every year, Ministry of Finance on Monday licked off the beginning of printing the interim budget 2019 documents by performing the Ceremony at the North Block in New Delhi. India’s Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley was absent from the symbolic ceremony as he was away to the US for a health check-up.

The Ministry of Finance marked the beginning of the printing of the Budget 2019 by conducting the Halwa ceremony on Monday at New Delhi.
The Indian government will unveil the Interim Budget 2019 on February 1.
After the ceremony over 100 officials of finance ministry in India aren’t allowed to go home till the budget is reveal.

Every year, just weeks before the Indian government presents its annual budget, it follows an unusual annual tradition of the ‘halwa’ ceremony, the making of a popular Indian dessert to mark the official kick-off of events.

The Halwa Ceremony is hosted by the Finance Ministry usually held at North Block in New Delhi in the weeks leading up to the announcement budget.

Here’s what the ceremony means and how it got its start-

Budget Halwa: An enduring tradition that promises to keep India’s budget ‘safe and guarded’

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The Halwa Ceremony

The connection of Dessert and Budget making in India

Halwa is a popular Indian dessert prepared from a mixture of semolina and sugar. Every year, the making of Halwa in North Block at New Delhi kicks off the process of printing budget.

The ceremony is held at same venue every year

The venue of the ceremony remains unchanged. The Halwa ceremony is held in North Block every year. Till 1950, the budget papers were printed in Rashtrapati Bhavan (President’s Secretariat). However, the venue was moved to North Block following a leak and has been unchanged for the process of printing.

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Budget Halwa: An enduring tradition that promises to keep India’s budget ‘safe and guarded’

Budget Halwa: An enduring tradition that promises to keep India’s budget ‘safe and guarded’

​The Halwa Ceremony

​The connection of Dessert and Budget making in India

The ceremony is held at same venue every year

The Halwa Ceremony

The connection of Dessert and Budget making in India