With the sound of winter gales comes the ringing of wedding bells. The season entails a range of customs and rituals but the age-old tradition of exchanging "dala" or gift basket between the bride and the groom has now taken on a life of its own. If you are planning to tie the knot this time around and are uncertain of what to do about the dala dilemma, this article dives into the latest trends, along with a price guide.
What to buy
For starters, we are all familiar with ordinary gift baskets used to carry wedding essentials — cosmetics, dresses for the bride and the groom, the family, and the entourage, etc. While the gifts remain more or less the same, it is in the way you decorate the boxes where you are spoilt for choice. Perhaps, it's also time to think beyond tradition.
Wedding dalas come separately and in more cost-effective sets. They are available in various sizes and staying true to recent trends, boxes now come with golden embroidery designs with simple beads and artificial flowers. Along with transparent sheets, they also come with plastic, box-like coverings. While the prices for these are somewhat on the higher side, these are suitable for gifts that are prone to breaking.
For the exchange of sweets, round or fish-shaped dalas are in demand. The recent addition to this has been boxes with separate, small compartments. Arranging sweetmeats will be easier with this particular dala and will cost you less than Tk 700.
Kulas have been traditionally used to send gifts for the holud and the paanchini. They come in a range of options and are priced between Tk 300 and 1500, depending on the grandeur of the pieces. Mirrors are an important accessory for the rusmat and a variety of designs are available, which will cost you around Tk 800. No exchange of gifts is complete without paan (betel leaf) and dalas are widely available within Tk 500 for this specific purpose.
Along with the boxes, you can also consider buying accessories that will help the newly married couple in the future. Wooden, two-tier dalas to keep essentials within a hand's reach come with price tags between Tk 1000 and Tk 2500. A wooden stand to hang your clothes will cost about Tk 3600.
Where to shop
The places to go dala-shopping are Bata Signal at Dhanmondi 2, Elephant Road, Eastern Mollika Goli, markets opposite Dhaka College, and Nurjahan Road opposite Mohammadpur Girls' High School.
Remember, to avail of a discount, it is possibly a good idea to get all your dalas from one place. If you want professional help to decorate the dalas, talk to the shop assistants for a good deal.
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