August is here! This means the festival season is upon us, beckoning lights, love, laughter, and delicious food in its warm embrace. Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi kickstarts the festivities that carry on until the end of the year! As you gear up for the festivities, let’s take a quick glimpse into the genesis of this popular festival.
What is Raksha Bandhan?
The name Raksha Bandhan translates to the bond of protection. According to the Hindu Lunar calendar, the festival dates back to about 6000 years ago and has been, since then, celebrated on the full moon day in the month of Shravan. On this day, traditionally, brothers and sisters come together, and amidst a lot of revelries, the sisters tie a knot of rakhi on the wrist of her brother while he promises to protect her from all evil. It’s an occasion to celebrate a relationship of trust, everlasting love, and security.
There are many tales, lore, and legends about the festival too. For instance, in the legend of Indra and Indrani, Indra’s consort Indrani ties a sacred thread on his wrist to shield him from the demons.
But like many other Indian festivals, Raksha Bandhan has evolved. Today, this festival is not only celebrated among siblings of the opposite gender but also between siblings of the same gender, between friends, and even close family members. Many reject the patriarchal notions of male ‘protection’ and celebrate it as a bond of love and of looking out for each other!
But what happens after the festivities are over, or when the threads disintegrate? The rakhis are discarded. To make things worse, most rakhis are made from polyester threads and have plastic baubles and chemical colours. When discarded, even something as small as a Rakhi can lead to eco-damage because of the volumes of waste generated.
For a festival that has traditionally signified ‘protection’, it is only apt that we extend our sustainable lifestyle philosophy to an eco-friendly Rakhi celebration and make it symbolic of the promise of protection to the planet!
For a festival that has traditionally signified ‘protection’, it is only apt that we extend our sustainable lifestyle philosophy to an eco-friendly Rakhi celebration and make it symbolic of the promise of protection to the planet!
To help you get your arrangements on track, here is a list of some of our favourite eco-friendly Rakhi brands in India:
1. Seed Rakhi
The folks at Seed Rakhi tell us, that after the festivities are over, around 620 million rakhis, most of which contain a lot of plastic, are dumped every year. Seed Rakhi is a sustainable alternative developed to combat this. With their plantable rakhis made using organic cotton and natural dyes, they aim to minimise the non-biodegradable waste of rakhis by replacing them with rakhis made of organic material and seeds of indigenous plants. Seed Rakhi also works with independent artisans, local craftswomen, and Self Help Groups, supporting these communities by providing them with work opportunities, and taking their art to the world.
2. Akiiko
If minimalism is your aesthetic, then look no further. Akiiko, a brand known for its wide range of natural fabric utility products, has added to its repertoire, a range of beautiful, minimalistic, and eco-friendly rakhis, like cotton rakhi, star hemp rakhi, wooden bead rakhis, cotton rope rakhi, and more, that can make your celebrations special and guilt-free. We especially love their rakhi hampers with an assortment of eco-friendly and organic items that exude positive vibes towards you as well as the planet!
3. 21 Fools
The homegrown brand with the edgy name, known for handcrafting sustainable stationery products, is an old favourite! Working with farmers, rural craftspersons, and artisans across the villages of India, they have come up with a range of eco-friendly plantable rakhis made from naturally dyed hand-spun organic cotton yarn and embedded with seeds of plants like Tulsi, Amaranthus, Purslane, Jowar, and Amaltash. Handcrafted with the support of artists and the farmer community of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, their unique rakhis, come with a promise to keep growing once planted, just like your bond!
Source: 21Fools
4. Phool
True to its name, Phool offers products made from temple flowers. Born with the mission to preserve the river Ganges by repurposing the waste of colourful flowers dumped from temples, they seek to empower local communities by providing them with a sustainable livelihood. Their cotton plantable rakhis in various colours and styles make for beautiful gifts this Raksha Bandhan. They even have gift boxes, for both brothers and sisters, filled with fun items from other homegrown labels, in case you are feeling extra generous this Raksha Bandhan!
5. Okhai
Offering handcrafted apparel and lifestyle products created by rural artisans from across India, Okhai has become a pioneer in offering sustainable alternatives to the modern-day conscious individual. On their website, you’ll see the happy faces of artisans working behind the scenes to make each product. On the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, they have added to their collection a wide range of rakhis in distinctive styles, that include rakhis in dokra threadwork, Madhubani paint art, recyclable crochet, and more unique ones like silver filigree and copper minakari, all designed to make your loved one feel special!
6. Nomad
The dexterous craftspeople of this innovative and sustainable rural India-inspired brand have added timelessness to the sacred threads of a rakhi, by making them multi-functional. With the magical power to turn into fun wristbands, Bohemian scrunchies, and similar quirky accessories, their rakhis are designed to be cherished for years. Quoting some beautiful lines from their philosophy: “These promise bands made by crafty hands over folk songs, posted by another set of hands with prayers tucked into the folds of the envelope, and tied onto the hands of a smiling sibling, gives us the hope for happier times.”
7. House of Tuhina
Launched by Tuhina Goyal, a textile and fashion design graduate from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, the label boasts a variety of intricately handcrafted accessories and jewellery. They have worked directly with skilled craftspeople and artisans to create exquisitely designed stunning rakhis and lumbas that promise to make the wrist that adorns it look beautiful and last for a long time!
8. Seed Paper India
The great part about seed rakhis is that once planted, they stand as a testament to your everlasting bond of love. The brainchild of Roshan Ray, Seed Paper India manufactures these seed papers. Their rakhis, handmade by the differently abled, use non-GM seeds and come in recycled cardboard boxes. And there is more – through their campaigns, they make sure the love reaches HIV-affected children as well. They truly believe in mindful and purpose-driven celebrations!
9. Ba No Batwo
A promise of loving and protecting your close one sees no gender. Ba No Batwo is one such brand that challenged this traditional notion of Raksha Bandhan by designing gender-neutral plantable rakhis. Gargi, the founder of Ba No Batwo, even ran an online campaign in 2019 called #MeriBehanMeriTakat (my sister, my strength), to encourage conversations around a gender-neutral Raksha Bandhan. Her handcrafted rakhis are made from clay and infused with seeds like Karanj and Golden Shower tree, using natural colours like turmeric, rice paste, and geru for the threads. Their rakhis are innovatively packed using upcycled waste fabric and coconut husk. And for the more creatively minded, they even have DIY kids with detailed instructions to craft your rakhis!
Source: Ba No Batwo
If you’re the kind who prefers to explore a wider range before making a choice, sustainable online marketplaces are for you. A lot of the hyper-local and eco-friendly brands mentioned above can also be found collectively in such places.
So, here is a BONUS list of our must-explore marketplaces for all your Rakhi and other festive needs for a sustainable celebration!
10. Upcycle Luxe
A carbon-neutral marketplace with the Impact Index indicated for each product, Upcycle Luxe, as the name suggests, offers upcycled products across categories, including rakhis from local brands like Lukka Chuppi and Use Me Works. What adds a feather to their (upcycled) cap, is their UpLuxe Offsetting Program through which they plant a tree for every purchase, which in turn helps offset carbon. With every tree planted, the owner gets a certificate that allows them to tell the world and raise awareness about how they proudly offset their carbon footprint. We think this is a great way to express love for your loved ones as well as the planet on Raksha Bandhan!
11. Amala Earth
Amala Earth is a marketplace that hosts an array of zero-waste, ethical, fair-trade, and artisan-led brands like Use Me Works, Prashast, BioQ and more. Each of these brands offers a vibrant range of rakhis like recyclable crochet rakhis, rakhis handmade with paper and seeds using only natural organic colour, and even plantable rakhi kits. The brands here also offer rakhi gift hampers in a 100% biodegradable packaging kit. Amala Earth’s mission is to build a platform where responsible choices are supported and transformation is embraced, and we admire them for it!
12. Brown Living
Regular readers of The Good Loop will be aware of Brown Living which finds a frequent mention in our stories! Always true to their love for the planet, Brown Living believes in celebrations that are unique, and exquisite, without harming the earth. So if you are looking for rakhis and rakhi gifts to celebrate Raksha Bandhan, choose from a host of brands like Patrah, The Good Route, Neeli Titlee, and more that offer limited edition eco-friendly and upcycled rakhis. Some of their brands provide customisation as well. This means when your loved one gets an eco-friendly rakhi, they also get something special and everlasting. To celebrate this love that prospers with time, they also plant trees with proceeds from your order for a green future for generations to come.
An Evergreen Bond
Created with love, care and attention, these homegrown brands are not only transparent in their approach to sustainability and use responsible materials, but they are also engaged in empowering artisans, women self-help groups, and crafts-persons from lesser privileged communities.
These brands also help to break social barriers by using festivals and community events as an opportunity to educate people about social issues and reduce the environmental damage caused by our lifestyle. Another such brand that deserves an honorary mention is Madhya Pradesh-based Gram Art. In 2019, Navleen Kumar, a human rights activist, was stabbed 19 times after she rallied for the rights of Adivasis in Mumbai. In her memory, Gram Art made a rakhi with 19 knots as a tribute to her sacrifice. Even today, they work relentlessly with a group of farmers, artists, and women, from the Sausar Tehsil of Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh to empower them and help them escape the vicious circle of poverty, patriarchy, superstitions, and more, using sustainable practices.
Supporting and shopping from eco-friendly brands that support and empower such vulnerable communities help prevent their exploitation and give them regular livelihood, while also doing the right thing for the environment. We cannot think of a more meaningful and fulfilling way to celebrate a happy occasion like Raksha Bandhan!
