Raksha Bandhan: Trend 2018

Richa Pandya & Mekhola Mukherjee
@npnews24x7

Pune

Raksha Bandhan is now away from a few days of counting, while the atmosphere of shopping is seen everywhere in the market. The trader said that there is no increase in the price of Rakhi because it has been spared from GST by the government.

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When the GST was announced by the government, the purchase of merchandise was most likely completed so it will be benefitted to customers. However, there was only 5 percent GST on Rakhis. At present, there is a silver Rakhi has created attraction in the market and demand has increased as well.

Production of Rakhis was mainly done in Kolkata but now local Rakhi Makers also makes Rakhis. At present, Kachhi Rakhi has also a great craze among people but those are produced in limited stock that’s why these Rakhis are hard to reach the local market.

Silver Rakhis have more demand in the market, designs in silver Rakhis include “Mere Bhaiya”, “Aum” and other such trademarks. These Rakhis are available from Rs 350 to Rs 1000.

Once upon a time, China’s products had the great impact on Indian market but fancy Rakhis are now produced by Indian merchandise at a reasonable price.

According to Prashant Jain, a shopkeeper at Sinhgad Road said, “Pom-pom Rakhis are in trend, also diamond Rakhis, cotton-thread Rakhis decorated with beads, and bracelet Rakhis have been sold in the market. Also, children are more attracted towards cartoon characters’ Rakhis and also those play songs and lights.”

1. Bracelet Rakhis:

One of the most trending Rakhi varieties for years have been these. Bracelet Rakhis are trendy as they work great as Rakhi and as a bracelet to flaunt.

2. Spiritual Rakhis:

Over the year, spiritual Rakhis are preferable and this year also, spiritual Rakhis are high on demand. Being a sacred Rakhi thread, spiritual Rakhis enjoy the preference of a large number of sisters who are worried about prosperity and good health of her brothers.

3. Designer Zardosi Rakhis:
   
   

In the recent times and in the year 2018, Designer Zardosi Rakhis are definitely on the list of most preferred and trending Rakhis. Being available in designer patterns and styles, Zardosi Rakhis has gained a lot of appeal from the fashion freak sisters.

4. Elegant Peacock Rakhis:

One of the most beautiful Rakhis of all time is the peacock Rakhi that is designed either with use of a peacock feather or in a shape of peacock of its colorful feather.

5. Colorful Beaded Rakhis:

   
   

Since years, beaded Rakhis have been a great fascination for sisters to accentuate wrist of brothers on Raksha Bandhan. Apart from heavy and bold beads of single color, these are available in multiple colors with beads of different sizes and patterns as well.

6. Bangle Style Lumba Rakhi for Bhabhi:

   
   

With the increasing craze among women to tie Rakhi on the wrist of her sister-in-law, there has been a significant increase in the demand for Lumba Rakhis too as every year it seems. However, on this Raksha Bandhan, Bangle Style Lumba Rakhis are in great demand as it’s easy to wear and are available in attractive bangle style designs that one can flaunt on their wrist as a bangle.

Amit Vora, a Pune based Rakhi seller said, “Stone Rakhi, Rudraksha Rakhi, Lumba Rakhi are more in trend. 50% of Rakhis have already been sold in the past four days and because of rains since two to three days, number of Rakhis sold have decreased. And in the coming days, the sales of Rakhis will be picked up. The excitement of sisters can be witnessed for the festival while they come shopping.”

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Preparations are being finalized on the Raksha Bandhan festival. The sisters are buying unique designed Rakhis for their brothers. Meanwhile, sisters are also buying sweets for their brothers.

According to Indraneel Chitale who has the well-known sweet shop’s chain across the country said, “Higher emphasis has been seen on Dry-fruit sweets, the primary reason behind it is that it is much more stable so it has a longer shelf-life.”

He added, “Also the cashew Sweets are also in demand, as cashew paste is easy to mold in different shapes, customized sweets are being made converting the sweets into Rakhi shapes. So this is what we are doing this year. Apart from that, people are adopting this as gifting ideas and spreading inter-city and internationally. From that point of view, we realized that cashew based products are much more stable to handle and travel at the same time still be eatable for a longer time. so the interest of customers has been turned towards cashew based sweets rather than milk-based products.”

Sweet shops are also wooing the customers by giving them free Rakhi offers on purchase of the sweets. So in this way, the promotional activities are also helping them to rise sales better from the point of view of gifting which is taking place intra-city.

Apart from these, there are people, making Gold Mithai in the market. But that is not sold very often in Pune but such Sweets have taken over the markets in North and Mumbai which costs around Rs 2000 or 4000 per Kg. which is a very premium market. Whereas, Pune is mostly restricted to silver sweets.