In the state of Maharashtra, people exchange tilgul on Sankranti, a Hindu festival celebrated on 14 January, which continues for seven days till Rath Saptami.

Sesame and jaggery are both warming foods that can help boost immunity.

This candy is thus beneficial for the human body during the winter season.

[1] Hence this candy is consumed during winter festivals like Sankranti and Lohri.

[1] The sweet is a mixture of sesame seeds (called "Til" in Marathi) and jaggery (called "Gul" in Marathi), hence the name.