Raksha Bandhan, popularly known as Rakhi, is one of the oldest and much-celebrated festivals of India.
It's quite simple — a thread of love is tied by a sister on her brother's wrist, to protect him and pray for his long life.
While the concept of the festival continues to hold the same significance, the rakhis themselves have gone through quite a drastic change over the years.
From traditional rakhis like lumbas or molis with a few beads, the market is
now full of rakhis that use zardosi, pearls, stones and the like. Children now have the option of tying rakhis that have angry birds, clowns, edible beads and other such non-traditional elements to them.
The point of having an auspicious day to celebrate the bond between a brother and sister seems to be forgotten with all this paraphernalia.
"The price hasn't gone up but the craze definitely has," says Rinkis, the owner of a shop selling rakhis in Malleswaram. "We keep a wide variety of rakhis that vary in size, design and price.
For children below the age of five, popular toy trends like Spiderman or Barbie work best. For the more lavish spenders, rakhis with precious stones, that range between Rs 50 and Rs 500, seem to be popular," he adds.
An interesting trend that Rinkis mentions is the new breed of muh bola bhai or friends that are proclaimed to be brothers by school and college-goers.
Youngsters are now tying the sacred thread to anyone they want to keep in the 'bro' zone. Another noteworthy trend is that of online shopping and gift delivering for occasions like rakhi. Given the decrease in the number of shops that sell rakhis and the fact that not everyone has time to go buy them from a market, it seems to be the most practical way to buy rakhis this season.
Different websites are selling rakhis priced between Rs 75 and Rs 3,000, depending on how elaborate the design is.
"Online gift shopping is really popular because it's a one-click job that makes it convenient for people to show they care. Nowadays, people are going for Chinese rakhis which look very fancy but are affordable.
They are bored of the traditional big rakhis and prefer something that looks stylish — almost like friendship bands," says Rahul Barua of BangaloreOnlineFlorists.com, a popular online gifting portal of the City.
"The new-age rakhis are modified but comfortable. Besides, there will always be a market for traditional ones because not everyone is open to change," he adds.
For the customer, there is a visible shift in what the market offers. But at the end of the day, it's a personal choice.
"I've been buying my rakhis from a shop in Malleswaram since the year I got married. For my brothers who stay out of station, I buy rakhi cards which have a rakhi attached to a greeting card. For those in the City, I stick to single, traditional rakhis," says Harsha Chende, a homemaker.
Does she feel the pinch of the price rise in the commodity?
"The prices have gone up in the last few years but the cheaper options aren't bad at all. It doesn't make sense to buy expensive rakhis these days because people wear it for just a day or two and take it off quickly," adds Chende.
It's quite simple — a thread of love is tied by a sister on her brother's wrist, to protect him and pray for his long life.
While the concept of the festival continues to hold the same significance, the rakhis themselves have gone through quite a drastic change over the years.
From traditional rakhis like lumbas or molis with a few beads, the market is
now full of rakhis that use zardosi, pearls, stones and the like. Children now have the option of tying rakhis that have angry birds, clowns, edible beads and other such non-traditional elements to them.
The point of having an auspicious day to celebrate the bond between a brother and sister seems to be forgotten with all this paraphernalia.
"The price hasn't gone up but the craze definitely has," says Rinkis, the owner of a shop selling rakhis in Malleswaram. "We keep a wide variety of rakhis that vary in size, design and price.
For children below the age of five, popular toy trends like Spiderman or Barbie work best. For the more lavish spenders, rakhis with precious stones, that range between Rs 50 and Rs 500, seem to be popular," he adds.
An interesting trend that Rinkis mentions is the new breed of muh bola bhai or friends that are proclaimed to be brothers by school and college-goers.
Youngsters are now tying the sacred thread to anyone they want to keep in the 'bro' zone. Another noteworthy trend is that of online shopping and gift delivering for occasions like rakhi. Given the decrease in the number of shops that sell rakhis and the fact that not everyone has time to go buy them from a market, it seems to be the most practical way to buy rakhis this season.
Different websites are selling rakhis priced between Rs 75 and Rs 3,000, depending on how elaborate the design is.
"Online gift shopping is really popular because it's a one-click job that makes it convenient for people to show they care. Nowadays, people are going for Chinese rakhis which look very fancy but are affordable.
They are bored of the traditional big rakhis and prefer something that looks stylish — almost like friendship bands," says Rahul Barua of BangaloreOnlineFlorists.com, a popular online gifting portal of the City.
"The new-age rakhis are modified but comfortable. Besides, there will always be a market for traditional ones because not everyone is open to change," he adds.
For the customer, there is a visible shift in what the market offers. But at the end of the day, it's a personal choice.
"I've been buying my rakhis from a shop in Malleswaram since the year I got married. For my brothers who stay out of station, I buy rakhi cards which have a rakhi attached to a greeting card. For those in the City, I stick to single, traditional rakhis," says Harsha Chende, a homemaker.
Does she feel the pinch of the price rise in the commodity?
"The prices have gone up in the last few years but the cheaper options aren't bad at all. It doesn't make sense to buy expensive rakhis these days because people wear it for just a day or two and take it off quickly," adds Chende.