Diwali Bonus for House Help: How Much to Give Your Maid, Cook and Driver

Every Diwali, the people who keep our homes running – the didi who cooks, the bai who cleans, the driver, the watchman, the gardener, the presswala – wait for one small gesture: a Diwali bonus or shagun in their hands before the festival. It is one of the oldest and warmest traditions of the season, and it is also the one most of us plan at the very last minute.

Here is a simple guide to how much to give your household help this Diwali, when to give it, and how to make the gesture feel personal rather than transactional.

Diwali bonus and Diwali shagun are not the same thing

Many families give two different things, and it helps to keep them separate in your head:

• Diwali bonus – a larger amount for staff who work for you regularly, often linked to their monthly pay. A common practice in Indian homes is around one month's salary for full-time help, and a smaller, proportionate amount for part-time help.
• Diwali shagun – a smaller, auspicious amount given as a blessing, usually ending in 1, such as ₹501 or ₹1,101. This is what you might give the watchman, the newspaper or milk delivery person, the society sweeper, or a part-time helper alongside a box of sweets.

There is no rule – give what feels right for the relationship and your budget. But knowing which one you are giving makes the planning much easier.

How much Diwali shagun to give household help

For shagun to household staff and neighbours, our free Shagun Calculator suggests a range of ₹501 to ₹1,100. As a rough guide:

• Full-time help (cook, maid, driver who work for you every day) – a Diwali bonus, plus ₹501 – ₹1,100 as shagun if you like.
• Part-time help (a few hours a day or a few days a week) – ₹501 – ₹1,100, or a proportionate bonus.
• Building and society staff (watchman, liftman, sweeper, gardener) – ₹501 each is a common choice.
• Delivery and service people you see every day (milk, newspaper, presswala) – ₹501, often with sweets.

Why the extra ₹1? In Indian tradition an amount ending in 1 is considered auspicious – a beginning rather than an end. We explain it in our post on why we add ₹1 to shagun.

When to give it

Diwali 2026 falls on Sunday, 8 November, with Dhanteras on Friday, 6 November. Give the bonus a few days before Dhanteras, not on Diwali day. Most household staff use this money to buy clothes, sweets and gifts for their own families, and many travel home for the festival – an envelope on Diwali morning arrives too late to be useful.

A good habit: hand it over in the first week of November, with a few words of thanks.

Make it personal

The amount matters, but how you give it matters too. A few small touches go a long way:

• Use an envelope, not loose notes. Cash handed over in a proper shagun envelope feels like a gift; loose notes feel like a payment.
• Write their name on it. If you are giving to several people, write each name on the back of the envelope so nothing gets mixed up – our matte envelopes are easy to write on with any pen.
• Give it yourself, with a thank-you. Two sentences of genuine thanks for the year mean more than any amount.
• Add sweets or a small gift for their children if you know the family.

Choosing envelopes for staff

When you are giving to five or ten people, one design in a larger pack keeps things simple. Our envelopes come in packs of 20, 50, 100 and 200:

• Pocket shagun envelopes – compact, elegant and the right size for a few notes.
• Velvet-finish envelopes – a richer feel if you want the gesture to stand out.
• Personalised envelopes with your family name printed on them, available on packs of 50, 100 and 200 – lovely if you give every year.

Order in time for Diwali

Delivery across India usually takes 4–7 days, so order your envelopes by the end of October to have them in hand before Dhanteras. Shipping is free on every order, and all orders are prepaid by UPI, card or netbanking.

Giving to family, friends and colleagues too? See our complete Diwali 2026 shagun guide, our guide to corporate Diwali gifting, or try the Shagun Calculator for any relationship and occasion.

Wishing you and everyone who makes your home run a bright and happy Diwali.