Abstract
This paper discusses the contemporary gift-giving practices in the social life of people and it provides a better understanding of the motivation behind reciprocity of gifts and its degree of universality. It compares potlatch with vartan bhanji; taking the former as being representative of western traditions and the latter of Punjabi traditions of exchanging gifts which delve on the similarity showing that there is a universality in reciprocity of gifts even though there may be dissimilarities in various other customs and on the other hand, also other similarities. Furthermore this paper throws light on the prominent festivals and occasions when gifts are given in the two subject cultures; similarities and dissimilarities; the significance of the value of the present; the obligation entailed; social implications and give cases of genuine generosity and appreciation and it examine how the reciprocity of gifts is determined by the class structure and in the end mention some social norms in this regard in the subject eastern culture. Through ethnological research conducted by the authors over a period of one year and applying Marcel Mauss’s framework of gifts being a form of exchange, reciprocity of obligation and a ritualistic concept of the act of giving a present, the results of this study show that in both eastern and western system of exchanges, gifts play a pivotal role for creating and strengthening the interpersonal relations.