Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Eco-friendly rakhis made by women artisans of Bhopal are in demand in different parts of the country and abroad. They have reached Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Germany, the US and the UK.
Made of cow dung, fabric, jute, sandalwood, silk, wool and other biodegradable materials, these rakhis don’t hurt the environment once their wearers abandon them after the festival of Rakshabandhan, which will be celebrated on August 9 this year.
Neeta Deep Bajpai has sold 8,000 beej rakhis made by members of her group in different parts of the country. “We started making them in January. We have made 15,000 rakhis and hope to sell out all,” she says. Beej rakhis are made of cow dung with varied designs embedded with tulsi, marigold and sunflower seeds. “When they are abandoned, the cow dung will enrich soil’s fertility and the seeds will grow into plants,” she said.
According to Neeta, rakhis have been dispatched to Germany, the UK and the US “Rakhi is about brothers protecting their sisters. But both, brothers and sisters, need to protect the environment,” Neeta added.
Pooja Iyengar has got 1,000 rakhis of fabric scrap prepared. They are in different designs including butterfly, Ganesh and flowers. About 500 rakhis have been sold out, dispatched to Mumbai, Delhi and the US. “We mostly got the orders through social media,” she added.
Preeti Sisodiya and her husband Prabhat have been making eco-friendly rakhis made of jute, sandalwood beads and fabric in Bagh and batik print. The sandalwood rakhis emit a faint pleasing smell.
She uses vermillion, turmeric powder and wheat flour for colouring. She also made a 6-foot jute rakhi for decorative purpose. “The demand for sandalwood rakhis is more. 50% stock of the rakhi has been sold,” Preeti says.
Women members of Dhriti - the Madhya Pradesh Police Pariwar - have made rakhis using woollen fabric and crosia design. “Priced between ₹35 and ₹55, our rakhis are pocket and environment-friendly,” says member Ganga Thapa.
