Poila Boisakh – 1429. Our own Bengali New Year, or Nabobarsho, is just around the corner and we are still in the midst of a chaos with war, disease and uncertainties disrupting our lives. If like me, you are a middle-aged Bengali ‘babai’ staying away from aging parents, you have surely not yet thought of how to usher in ‘Nababorsho’ for them, as they rue your absence & prepare to spend yet another auspicious occasion alone.
Luckily, this year, help is at hand from the Care Continuum team who have come up with some great ways to dispel your parents’ loneliness, especially if they stay in Kolkata! To let them know that they take up the lion’s share in our hearts is possible now with minimum time, effort and resources, thanks to a well curated list of stuff they are sure to appreciate deeply.
Indulging the Sweet Tooth
Let’s begin with the special Bengali treat this new year for our elder care-plan members and their families. A special surprise has been planned hand in hand with one of the oldest and most eminent sweet shops in town. We are bringing back the ‘sweetness of old Bengal’ through a special edition of heritage sweets which will be custom made for them. Yes! A novelty which will remind the seniors of their younger and perhaps happier days. The rest of it is top secret!
If you think it’s a great way to brighten up your parents’ Poila Baisakh, you can Whatsapp us at 7044094009. Just use the format – Poila Boisakh <Name> <Ph No> and we will be happy to share further details. Since advance planning and preparation is required for delivery logistics, pre-paid orders will only be accepted till 10th of April.
Feeding the Bookworms
Reading books and magazines is perhaps embedded in every Bengali’s genes and therefore it is no surprise that an annual subscription of books or magazines can be a fantastic Naboborsho gift to your parents, who have time to spare. Besides content in English, most popular Bengali magazine subscriptions too can now be ordered online (including delivery of printed copies) and doing so is a breeze. Just click on the following for a variety of magazines.
- For Desh, Sananda, Anandalok, Anandamela
- For Reader’s Digest
- For Time Magazine
- For India Today
- For National Geographic
Dressing to thrill
New clothes are always welcome for the young and old. With the weather becoming hotter than ever, cottons, kotas and linens are the best wear for this season. Worry not if you have no aide to send shopping to Gariahat or Baguihati. We have listed some exclusive retail and cloud stores in Kolkata for you – they will be happy to personally deliver your gifts in time. Fear not – there’s something available for dad too!
Homing in
Can you fancy yourself nodding and smiling at your mother at some inane or oft repeated phrase? Well, even if you are not there, your caricature can do the same to her on Nabobarsho! A personalized bobbing head can make your parents smile without reason and isn’t that something that we all want? So hurry and get your miniature done at https://prestogifts.com/bobble/head/product-category-0214/3d/miniature OR https://artgalore.in/collections/3d-miniatures/products/personalised-3d-miniature-bobble-head-solo-couple-group
If they appreciate handmade artefacts, you can gift them a variety of Indian items from https://necessityestore.in/ which has a decent collection. An interesting mix of art pieces can also be found at a local manufacturer’s – https://www.facebook.com/Gallary4NihaRika/?modal=admin_todo_tour
Encouraging Fluids
Personalising their items of regular use is a wonderful way to show that you really have their needs in mind. Coffee mugs are way too overdone and every household seems to have dozens of them anyway. So, instead, a personalized set of beverage glasses seem perfect for all those summer flavours of sherbets from Paramount. The sherbets themselves can be ordered from any of the popular online food delivery apps like Zomato or Swiggy and you can get customized beverage glasses from https://www.fnp.com/personalised-glassware-lp OR https://www.thebestgifts.in/collections/customized-glasses-whisky
Minding the mind
And finally, a most interesting gift especially for those who need a little assistance in momentary recall. A Memory Box. A place to go to for comfort and for reliving times loved best. We all have a collection of our favourite things and even though not everything may fit into a box, we can create a ‘memory zone’ for things of the past as well as for activities of the present, so we can relish these treasures forever. Find your preferred designs and sizes at https://woodsala.com/search?q=box OR https://www.home4u.in/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection&options[prefix]=last&q=box* OR https://www.kashmirbox.com/search?type=product&q=box
Hope you liked our selection of gifts for this Bengali new year. Do share with us, your idea of the perfect Nabobarsho gift for your parents at https://www.facebook.com/carecontinuum or https://www.instagram.com/care_continuum/. The Care Continuum team wishes you a wonderful time on Poila Boisakh.
Dr. Soma Bhattacharjee
The author has no conflicts of interest to declare and there is no financial interest to report.