Jamshedpur, Aug 13: The pandemic has inspired the creativity in rakhi makers too this year. For the first time, vaccine rakhis are generating curiosity this time. With the festival of brother and sister bond Rakhi round the corner, the markets flooded with designer rakhis. The festival will be celebrated on August 22.
Rakhi makers are at the peak of manufacturing their products. One leading seller, Niraj Kumar said there is a totally new design for rakhis – those themed on the Covid vaccine. “They look nice and attract attention. This variety is flying off the shelf. Most are priced at Rs 110. There is also a personalised option in which a sister can get the brother’s picture printed on the rakhi along with the vaccine message.”
According to a manufacturer of Covid themed rakhis, “It will be good if everyone gets vaccinated fast. We have designed these rakhi to inspire more people to get vaccinated. They are surely going to be a talking point, which means more people will get aware of vaccination. We have taken care to use plastic that looks like glass, so they look good but won’t hurt like glass.”
Kids and seniors are the most curious about the new rakhi design, say sellers. Personalised options are also selling well. “We have some designs with pictures of political leaders. This has a special segment of buyers,” says Johar, who expects to sell 500-600 Vaccine Rakhis from his store this season.
The markets are flooded with traditional as well as modern types of rachis, say those embellished with gold, silver, diamond and pearls. Also, thanks to the e-days that we are living in, there are a number of websites now that not only offer a great choice of rakhis, but send them across to your sibling in any part of the world on your behalf.
Designer rakhis, which combine the traditional with the contemporary, were a hit this season. Youngsters flocked the markets to get a fashionable gift for their sisters from a range of imported chocolates, kurtis, perfumes, watches, and even laptops! Trying to meet the demands of readymade articles, some shops displayed in their rakhi shelves an assorted collection of ready-made plates with kumkum, rice, rakhi, and sweets. Rakhis were also exchanged as bonds of friendship, a practice that has become an increasingly popular trend, particularly among the school students and college crowd. While the city basked in the festive revelry to celebrate the special bond, there were others who preferred to observe the day in different ways.
