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

• 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-