The Halwa Ceremony is the preparation of the traditional Indian sweet dish Halwa in a large ‘kadhai’ at the North Block of the Parliament.
This event signifies the starting of a lockdown for the officials and staff involved in the budget's preparation within the finance ministry.
It is an annual ritual followed every time several days before the union budget presentation at the Parliament.
Halwa is prepared and served among the officials and staff involved in the budget's preparation.
The halwa ceremony also marks the beginning of the process of budget printing and its presentation in the assembly.
The officials and staff involved in the budget-making process are said to be confined to their offices until the budget is presented in the Parliament.
Phone calls are supervised, officials are not allowed to move out and must stay under surveillance from CCTV cameras and the Intelligence Bureau.