New Year gift hamper: a handmade candle chest for the party host, a friend's fresh start or the family you visit on 1 JanuaryNew Year gift hamper: a handmade candle chest for the party host, a friend's fresh start or the family you visit on 1 January

A hamper for the turn of the year

New Year gifting in India sits in an awkward spot. Diwali boxes went out two months ago, Christmas has just passed, and most people arrive at a New Year's Eve party with a box of chocolates. A chest of candles is a different kind of gift: it is used that night at the party, and it is still there on the shelf in March.

On Raajkosh you build it in the gift chest builder: 3 to 6 handmade soy candles, then a chest style, a ribbon and a message, and we deliver across India. Each piece is charged at its shop price, plus the chest style; 4 or more pieces get 10% off the pieces. The builder shows the full price before checkout. The totals below are for the pieces only.

Three New Year chests and who each one is for

Add the chest style to each. A fourth piece takes 10% off all four.

The hosts. Five twisted spirals in ivory, pink, blue, yellow and navy for the dinner table, ten red heart tealights to line the balcony for the countdown, and four braided rounds for the coffee table. Hand it over when you arrive and it gets used that night.

A friend starting over. For someone who has had a hard year: a new job, a move, the end of something. Vanilla Reverie is our only scented candle, soft vanilla in an amber jar. The lotus and the Blossom Candle are small and hopeful. The message is where you say the thing about the year ahead.

The family on 1 January. Many families visit elders or relatives on New Year's Day. The gold-rimmed urli pair for their doorway, a pair of conch-shaped seashell vessels for the drawing room, and ten daisy tealights.

Choosing for a party or a quiet New Year

• For a party, pick pieces that get lit. Tealights and spirals work on a crowded table; sculpted pieces are better kept for after.
• For a quiet one, pick pieces that stay. The urli, the seashells and the vanilla jar look good unlit for the whole year.
• Keep one colour story. Party chests can be bright; family chests look better in gold and cream.
• Date the message. "For 2027" in the message turns the chest into a small marker of the year.

If you are buying for your partner, there are separate pages for a New Year gift for your girlfriend and your wife. For all other chests, see our gift hampers page.

Order before the December rush

Christmas and New Year parcels travel in the same few weeks, so leave room. We do not promise a delivery date: orders dispatch in 24 to 48 hours and arrive 2 to 7 days after dispatch. Order in the first half of December if you can, and check the estimate for the pincode on the product page. If you are carrying it to a party yourself, ship it to your own address first.

For companies sending New Year gifts to teams or clients, the corporate page quotes from 10 gifts with your logo on the tag.

Cake and chocolates: not in this chest

Our chest is only candles. A cake for midnight or a box of chocolates for the host come from a bakery or a sweet shop; plenty of guests bring one of those and the candle chest together.

Paying, shipping and the countdown safety line

Payment is prepaid only (UPI, card, net banking or wallet); there is no cash on delivery. Orders of Rs 999 or more ship free; below that, Rs 79. Report any damage within 24 hours of delivery for a replacement or refund.

At a busy party: keep candles on a stable, heat-proof surface away from curtains, balloons and streamers, trim each wick to about 5 mm, keep each burn to 3 to 4 hours, and never leave a candle burning alone when everyone goes out to watch the fireworks.