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Ornamental serving trays,
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Copper, silver, or brass pooja thaali,
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Indian miniature paintings,
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Wall hangings,
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Traditional Indian batik art and craft work,
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Kashmiri craft,
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Brass, and copper designed wall plates, Woodcraft,
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Thanjavur (Tanjore) plates, bowls, napkin rings,
jewel boxes. These are made of copper and brass. The motifs are from Hindu
mythology, or you could order your own design as well. They are encrusted in
silver.
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Statues or small idols of Ganesh, and Laxmi.
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A set of diyas. You get all kinds of diyas from
pottery to ceramic and most gorgeously painted and embellished.
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Candles in hand-crafted candle holders. Aroma
candles are also available in all shapes, sizes and aromas.
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Silver coins engraved with Ganesh and Laxmi.
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Dry fruit box. These are available as readymade
gift items. Alternately you can order the kinds of dry fruits you would like
included. The container could be made of wicker or beaten silver/foil.
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Magnets or magnet frames with pictures of the
bride and groom.
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Silk shawls and stoles. These are available in a
large variety, and great range of price and colour. Should you decide on this,
then you can have different kinds for different sets of guests.
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Cotton stoles in different colours with a thin
border of zari can be considered. Handloom weaves are gorgeous and are
available in different colours, designs and lengths. Use your creativity to
make favours with them.
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Chocolates in personalized wrappers with the
wedding monogram or the initials of the bride and the groom. A specially
designed hamper containing lots of different stuff.
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Every State in India is known for its own
indigenous craft. Giving something traditional and indigenous to the place of
the wedding would be special.
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All these gifts would have either an engraving
of your initials or a card with your photographs on it. If possible, small
cards made with handmade paper can be affixed with the names of the person you
are giving the gift to.
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Shagun or favours can be ordered, or bought
online too from stores which specialize in them. However, for a traditional
wedding, it is the members of the family who personally look into this.
Remember this is a personal acknowledgement of the
guest/relative/close friend. Consequently a lot of thought has to go into it.
Anything done in a hurry or in a slipshod manner is only going to create an
inauspicious vibe towards the bride and groom.
It is always a good idea to gift the favors to the outstation guests a
few hours before the wedding. This is so
because many guests schedule their departure within hours after the wedding or
the reception is concluded.