PHOTOS: Halwa ceremony returns as Budget 2023 enters final stage
The customary Halwa ceremony marks the final stage of the Budget preparation process. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman performed the pre-budget ritual at the North Block in the presence of Ministers of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary and Bhagwat Kisanrao Karad.
This year too, Union Budget 2023-24 will be presented in paperless form on February 1.
Check the photos here
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman with Ministers of State for Finance Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad and Pankaj Chaudhary and officials during the ''Halwa'' ceremony ahead of Union Budget 2023-24. (Photo credit: IANS)
A customary halwa ceremony is performed every year before the “lock-in” process of budget preparation starts. (Photo credit: IANS)
The halwa is prepared in a large wok and served to the officials of the finance ministry who are directly associated with the Budget. (Photo credit: IANS)
The ceremony also recognises the efforts of every staff member who was a part of the budget-making process. (Photo credit: IANS)
Once the sweet dish is served, officials and other staff are made to stay in the basement of the north block of the finance ministry till the Budget is not tabled in the Parliament. (Photo credit: IANS)