You buy new, colourful, stylish, and unique rachis for your
beloved brothers every year. But have you thought about where the rakhis go
once the festival is over? While some you might have siblings who save the
rachis carefully, but most rakhis are either misplaced.

For the world, it may be a mere thread,
but for most people in India, a rakhi is a symbol of protection and solidarity.
However, these rakhis may have been made from plastic, and chemical colours,
and thus, they harm the environment.

Fear not, because we’re close to making
you feel less guilty. Keep this list of eco-friendly, plantable, and edible
rakhis handy if you’d want to contribute to the environment to make the
festival meaningful.

Natural semi-precious agate stone rakhis

 “One thing that this pandemic has
taught us among many others is to be slow and more thoughtful, be it in our
personal lives or in this fast-growing consumer industry. It’s important for us
to realise that we have to make gifting not only special but also sustainable.
We’re always working on new ideas that are environment friendly, our gifting
has evolved with this. Each Raksha Bandhan piece that we have curated is a
statement piece that you can retain after the celebration is over. Be it as a
room diffuser, accessory, or storage box!” tells Ms. Ruchita Bansal, Founder,
and Creative Director, Izhaar. 

She adds, “The festive season has
arrived and my team is all set to make it special for you! On this occasion of
Raksha Bandhan, we’ll make sure that you cherish the special bond with your
siblings even if you’re away from them. We have followed all safety measures
while curating this experience. Luxury and sustainable – each box is a
statement piece that can be used as a home decor piece. Right from wooden carved
boxes to luxury leather boxes, we have it! We have launched a wide range of
Semi-Precious Agate Stone and Silver Rakhis for you to choose from.” 

 Bansal tells us that their rakhis
are handcrafted with natural semi-precious agate stone. “Each stone is unique
with splashes of colours. Since time immemorial, owing to its incredible good
looks and ability backlight, agate is commonly referred to as a healing stone.
These semi-precious agate slabs are extremely dramatic and create true focal
points in any design…The material can transform and look and feel to foster a
rather eclectic appearance.”

Edible rakhis

Chef Ramachandran Ganeshan, Pastry Chef,
ITC Grand Central, Mumbai tells Opoyi, “The bond of brother and sister is
intricately translated into our new ‘Edible Rakhi Hamper’ where each element is
handcrafted to be savoured with love. The hamper is mindfully curated with
utmost care and hygiene. Raksha Bandhan is about Rakhi and sweets we thought of
combining the two and came up with the concept of edible Rakhi. Most people
remove Rakhis the very next day, so under the credo of Responsible Luxury at
ITC Hotels, we thought of coming up witch sustainable rakhi, which looks pretty
and goes with the occasion too. Our edible Rakhi is made of Kalakand and dry apricot
on a double chocolate cake base, which is a treat in itself.”

Delicious! Isn’t it?

Plantable rakhis

Love gardening? Or just want to save the
environment and lead a more sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle? The best
way to do that is with an eco-friendly and organic rakhi that can be planted.
Yes, you read it right!

Many people are opting for options for
rakhis that come with seeds and can be planted after the celebration is over. 

Let’s make this Raksha Bandhan an
occasion where you can do something little for the environment? Opt for an
eco-friendly rakhi and gift for your brother this year!