Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A special Diwali sweet made of Pishori Pistas is selling for Rs 24,000 per kg in the city. Besides pistas, kesar and gold vark have been used to prepare the sweet. Pishori Pistas are imported from Pakistan and are named after the place in the neigh- bouring country where they are grown.
The sweet, perhaps the costliest one in the city, is available at sweet shops in New Market. “Pishori Pistas are greener and tastier than other pistas and are full of nutrients”, says owner of a sweets shop Dharmendra Dang.
He says that they have used Stevia, a sugar substitute made from a plant found in South America, as a sweetener. Ayurvedic texts say that gold and silver, taken in extremely small quantities, are also good for health, he adds.
Another unique initiative is printing paintings by Gond artistes Padma Shri recipient Durga Bai Vyam and Venkat Raman Singh Shyam from the state on the covers of the tin boxes in which sweets are packaged. “The aim behind the initiat- ive is to promote tribal art of the Madhya Pradesh.,
