Diwali: what to give, and the one-rupee rule

Diwali shagun runs on a quiet set of rules that nobody writes down and everybody follows. Here they are written down.

Always end in one

₹101, ₹501, ₹1,101, ₹2,101, ₹5,101. Never ₹100, never ₹500. The extra rupee makes the sum indivisible, which is the point. It signals that the relationship carries forward rather than being squared off. This is why the one-rupee coin exists in the envelope at all.

Roughly who gets what

• Household help, drivers, the building staff: usually a month's pay or a round figure plus one, and it is given warmly, not handed over.
• Younger cousins, nieces and nephews: ₹101 to ₹501 depending on age and how close you are.
• Children of family friends: ₹101 to ₹251.
• Newly married couples in the family: ₹1,101 and up.

These are habits, not rules. The correct amount is whatever is normal in your family, and going far above it can embarrass the person receiving rather than delight them.

Give it with both hands

Small thing, matters a lot. Shagun is handed over with both hands and received the same way, usually with a touch of the feet if there's an age gap. If you are sending it as a link instead, the equivalent is writing something real in the message rather than leaving it blank.

Lakshmi Puja timing

Most families give shagun after Lakshmi Puja on Diwali night, or on Bhai Dooj two days later for siblings. Sending it earlier is fine. Sending it late is the thing people notice.