Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Gudiya Khan is a member of one of the many innovative Self-Help Groups (SHGs) from the city, which have come up with eco-friendly rakhis made using unconventional materials.
While the market is flooded with conventional rakhis, which are mass-produced and are made using chemicals and plastic, these hand-crafted rakhis stand apart, not only with their different look but also because they won’t hurt the environment once they are abandoned by the wearers after the end of the festival. Rakshabandhan will be celebrated on August 11.
Gudiya, who lives near Chakku Chauraha in the Tulsi Nagar locality, is making rakhis with rice grains. A member of Ekta Swasahayata Group of 15 women, she uses glue, cotton cloth and silk thread to make rakhis. Gudiya says that she is using edible material to colour the grains. “I want to make sure that even if a child nibbles on the rakhi, it does not harm him,” she says.
Picking each grain, colouring it and then sticking it to the cotton base is a cumbersome process. Initially, it took her around 35 minutes to make one piece initially. Now, with practice she has managed to cut it down to around 25 minutes.
Educated up to class 10, Gudiya’s husband is a driver. “My income helps supplement my household expenses,” she told Free Press.
Preeti Sisodiya and her husband Prabhat have made rakhis using jute, gobar, sandalwood beads, and cotton cloth. They are using sandalwood beads to make the rakhis. Due to the use of sandalwood, the rakhis emit a faint pleasing smell.
The Sisodiya couple use vermillion, turmeric powder and wheat flour for colouring. “We wanted to create rakhis which are not only environment-friendly but also do not cause any irritation to the skin of the wearers,” Prabhat said.
Pooja Verma, who has done her PG diploma in fashion designing from the Women’s Polytechnic in 2018, has been designing pieces of jewellery including necklace, earrings and fingerings for the past eight years. She decided to use her skills and experience in designing rakhis this time. Her rakhis have embroidery and Bagh, Indigo and Dabu prints on them.
