By IANS,
New Delhi : With the Hindu festival Raksha Bandhan to be celebrated Saturday, markets across the city are chock-a-block with an array of rakhis in mind-boggling styles, colours and designs, as also with expensive designer rakhis and upmarket gifts.
The rakhis cost anywhere between Rs.10 and a few thousand rupees.
Raksha Bandhan celebrates the bonds between brothers and sisters and coincides with the full moon in the month of Shravan according to the Indian calendar.
On this occasion, sisters tie a holy thread on the wrists of brothers, who in turn renew their vow to protect them for life. Gifts are also exchanged on the occasion.
Accessory designer Anuradha Chhabbra has unveiled a special line of rakhis made of gold beads with precious and semi-precious gems like pearls, rubies and emeralds.
“My rakhis have semi-precious stones like tiger’s eye, combined with gold for success in career and studies,” Chhabbra said.
“My collection also has rakhis with evil eye amulets to promote good health and prosperity for the brothers,” she added.
Rakhis at her store “Jewels by Anu” start at Rs.500 and go up to Rs.4,000.
Many Indians consider the Rudraksh to be a religious and a good luck charm and thus it is not surprising that it has been incorporated into some rakhis.
And the growing popularity of animation films is reflected in rakhis with images of Hindu god Hanuman, Spiderman and Mickey Mouse that cost anywhere between Rs.15 and Rs.50.
Other than rakhis, the markets offer a plethora of gifting options like stylish photo frames, flower vases, wooden pots with a touch of the rustic, home furnishings, attractive crockery, designer clothes and watches, to name just a few.
Leading ethnic garment store Fab India has drawn up special plans for the occasion.
“We are not only giving away a rakhi on every purchase from the store but will also bring in a henna applier across all our branches from Thursday onwards. We will be able to lure women customers in this way,” Radhika Diesh, who manages Fab India’s Connaught Place outlet, told IANS.
Kimaya, a popular multi-designer fashion house here, is showcasing a range of traditional outfits by leading designers like Manish Arora, Arpana Vohra, Ruchika Bhasin and Seema Gujral.
Kunchal’s, a multi-brand chain of stores here, is selling specially packed hampers for the occasion.
“Raksha Bandhan is a very important day for brothers and sisters and they want to present a memorable gift to their sibling. We have exclusively designed gift sets for everyone,” the chain’s director, Smriti Gupta, said.
Comprising a range of perfumes, body care products and cosmetics, the hampers cost between Rs.500 and Rs.3,000.
If all this is not enough to tempt you, then Aura, the luxury spa at Park Hotel has an intriguing offer for the siblings. On offer are three Raksha Bandhan special spa packages: Hawaiian massage for brothers, Acacia touch for sisters and Go Green for both.
The packages are exclusively for the festival and are priced between Rs.2,000 and Rs.3,000.
For those whose brothers are miles away, despair not – log on to the web and choose from a range of solutions on offer.
Websites like rakhisonline.com and rakhi.indiaplaza.in offer to send rakhis anywhere within and outside India. After adding shipping costs, a simple rakhi will cost Rs.500, with the amount going up to few thousand rupees, depending on what is being sent with the rakhi, for instance, a box of sweetmeats, a greeting card or a silver tray.