India is a diverse and culturally rich country. Indian civilisation since years has been known through its festivities and the rituals associated with them. Festivals talk about togetherness and give us a break from the monotony of our boring lives. And one of the near-in-sight festivals is Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi, as many call it.
Celebrated across the Indian subcontinent, the Raksha Bandhan festival best signifies the pure bond of affection and care that the Brother-Sister Duo shares. The Rakhi festival is marked by tying the thread of love and care on the brother’s wrist by a sister that offers protection to her brother all the time. Brothers, on the other hand, offer Rakhi Gifts to his sister to reciprocate his love and affection.
Raksha Bandhan was celebrated in a plain Jane way in the yesteryears and certainly had devoid of the glitz and glamour that is shown today. In today’s time, everything from festivals to weddings to normal pooja is planned under the purview of pomp and show. Everything seems to be influenced by the movies of Yash Raj. The festival of Raksha Bandhan does not remain untouched by this.
Also read: Greatest Rakhi 2022 Gifting Ideas For Siblings
Sisters initially started out with a mere thread and as traditions continued to advance, mere thread was turned to Zari and then Resham (silk). Floral rakhis too dominated the scene for quite some time. Then we saw Shree-Om Rakhi and Swastik Rakhi doing the rounds and now they rule the rooster. Also for children, rakhi manufacturers have realised that the best way to sell them rakhis is through creating fascinating Rakhis for kids in numerous designs like cartoon Rakhi and superhero Rakhi.
If this according to you doesn’t adjust well within the length and breadth of pomp and show, what would you say to Rakhis being made of real gold? Don’t believe us? Well, you’d have to. North Indian Women, who can afford such Rakhis, leave no stone unturned to make their Brothers feel special. Even if it means to tie Rakhi made of pure Gold and shelling out Rs 20,000 to 30,000.
With this not so humility filled Rakhi, brothers too don’t spare a penny when it comes to getting their sisters the best gift. What all sisters look forward to is the Shagun (simply Rakhi gifts) they’d be receiving from their brothers. And brothers make sure that their “ Shagun” is not something that reeks of monotony.
Shagun during Pre-independent India was a mere Rs.11 or 21. As time flew incomes got advanced and the importance attached to Shagun got elevated. We saw an increase in the amount of Shaguns. Some began to supplement their shagun with chocolates which till now is considered the best gift to date. With the rich getting richer, a rage for premium mobile phones and personalised gifts dominated the Indian market. From personalised chocolates to personalized cushions, everything expresses the Brother-Sister love in the mushiest way.
With ethereally rich people being always away from the “popular culture”, they certainly have taken a break from the personalised gift scenario. Their gifts exhibit extravaganza. From opulent Fendi bags to limited edition luxury brand accessory ranges, they know what stands in coherence with their wealth. Even when this seems to belittle their love for their sister, swanky cars and Parisian vacations seem to dominate the Rakhi arena for the filthy rich.
With gifts taking a huge turn from the nominal Salwar Kameez, we also see how sweets too have changed. Traditionally Desi Ghee sweets were preferred and were also considered delectable, but with an increased consciousness over calories, sisters prefer to get diet sweets or sugar-free sweets. Even if this is not enough, many try and get access to exotic fruits too.
With the evolution of Raksha Bandhan from Nirupa Roy to Deepika Padukone, it would be interesting to see what does the future has in store for us!!
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