The bond of siblings

Raksha Bandhan, a festival of brothers and sisters, is unique in its kind. In this era of Valentine days and friendship days, this festival, a part of India since ancient times, is a reminder once again of how India knew to celebrate “days” much before these greeting card companies hit on the idea. The symbolic representation of the sister tying the thread depicts the fragility and beauty of the relationship.

The shops this time of the year are adorned with dazzling colors, the gold and silver in the rachis winking with a lot of mischief. These rakhis provide seasonal employment to scores of women with most rachis being made by women at their homes, during the spare time they get after completing the household chores. The manufacturer only provides material and training for making rakhis to a select group of women. These women then take the work to their localities and rope in other women to make the rakhis. The women can earn any amount between Rs 200 to 250 a day by making rachis and more intricate the rakhi, higher is the price they can demand. At best a artisan family earns only two thousands to four thousands making Rakhis . Two decades back, artisans used to get coloured papers, cotton, wool at a lower price for making Rakhis . But, nowadays, the buying cost has compelled them to purchase rakhi making items at higher price. These days, a few manufacturers have even started importing raw materials from China and crafting rakhis from them here in India.

This is a festival which is a part of our culture and we should preserve it for generations. If the West could export their Valentine Day to all countries, why not our Raksha Bandhan?