175-year-old confectioner lays out new varieties for Bhai Phonta
The Statesman | 24 October 2025Sandesh (a sweet made from curdled milk) is one of Bengal’s most traditional delicacies. Felu Modak confectioners have excelled in preserving the originality of its texture, taste, and flavour—leaving the taste buds craving more. Over time, Felu Modak has practically become a trademark for authentic Bengali sandesh.
Amitava Dey, the fifth-generation proprietor of the confectionery, takes immense pride in maintaining the same quality and flavour that have made their Sandesh a favourite both in India and overseas.
For this year’s Bhai Phonta celebrations, Amitava said that three special varieties have been prepared — malai sandesh, mirer sandesh, and mesi sandesh (in honour of the legendary footballer Messi, who is expected to visit Kolkata). The mesi sandesh, depicting Messi with a football and his name, is expected to be a major attraction for football enthusiasts. Additionally, six different flavours of malai rabri are on offer as a special attraction. Traditional sweets such as khaja, goja, lavanga latika, and sor bhaja continue to remain in high demand alongside the new creations.
“This Bhai Phonta marks a perfect blend of traditional favourites and innovative new sweets,” said Amitava. “We are equally mindful of those suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid issues, and other ailments. For them, we have prepared special low-sugar sweets infused with herbal spices, maintaining the natural flavour and taste.”
Among other popular items are amralipi, which carries the delicious taste of ripe mango; mihi dana sandesh, combining the essence of mihi dana and sandesh in each bite; and mango-flavoured amrit rabri, which is also in great demand.
Bengali communities in the USA and London also demand Felu Modak’s traditional sandesh, said the confectioners. “No Bengali or Hindu festival abroad is complete without our sweets,” Amitava said, adding that to meet the growing global demand, the unit has procured modern machinery from China and Japan.
Mr Dey further emphasised that they strictly adhere to the Food Safety Act and use no chemical preservatives or artificial colours. “Every ingredient we use is 100 per cent natural and herbal,” he asserted.
