Union Finance department grandly celebrated the North Block's annual ritual 'the Halwa Ceremony'. Tuesday (July 16). It featured Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, since the Union Budget for 2024–25 is set to be announced on July 23. Every year, the largest financial exercise in the nation is celebrated with the Halwa ceremony.
The Halwa ritual has been followed for decades and is inspired by the Indian tradition of eating something sweet before starting something important or special. It also serves as a gesture to acknowledge the efforts of all those involved in preparing the Budget. This traditional Indian sweet dish is prepared and served to the officials and staff members of the finance ministry.
History of North Block ritual
The Halwa ceremony has been a part of Indian culture and tradition for a long time, but its history in relation to the Union Budget is as follows.
The ceremony marks the final stage of the Budget preparation process for the Union Budget, usually held in North Block, the Finance Ministry headquarters in Delhi.
The tradition is believed to have been inspired by the Indian tradition of eating something sweet before starting something important or special.
The ceremony also serves as a gesture to acknowledge the efforts of all those involved in preparing the Budget.
The practice of having a Halwa ceremony before the Union Budget started after a budget leak in 1950 led to the resignation of the then Finance Minister, John Matthai.
Since 1980, the basement of North Block has been the dedicated site for budget printing.
Why Halwa Ceremony before Budget?
The Halwa ceremony is an annual tradition held before the Union Budget is presented in the Indian Parliament.
The ceremony marks the beginning of the printing of the budget documents
The event is a gesture of appreciation for those who have worked on the budget
The ceremony is held around 9 to 10 days before the Union Budget is presented in the Parliament
The ceremony is performed before the officials involved in budget preparation are locked in to prevent any leaks
It is attended by the Finance Minister and other high-ranking officials
After the ceremony, the officials involved in the budget preparation are not allowed to leave the ministry premises until the budget is presented in the Parliament to maintain the secrecy of the budget