Celebrate Raksha Bandhan With New-Age, Consciously-Crafted Rakhis From Homegrown Labels

Growing up in South India, Raksha Bandhan wasn’t really something that we celebrated but it was a day that some of our guy friends dreaded. It had become a festival where rakhis were tied by female classmates to cement their platonic love towards some of their male classmates. The early 2000s really weren’t a time when girls had found the voice or vocabulary to dispel baseless rumours. So more often than not, this was done as a way to publicly ‘bro-zone’ their classmates. Well, times have changed and the youngsters of today have gotten to a point where they choose to voice their feelings, platonic or otherwise, and not tie them up in symbolic gestures with Rakhis. 

In 2024, this festival is a celebration of the people in our lives who are our family at heart for us and is a way to asperse the worst aspects of the world with a ‘Raksha Bandhan’ (protective tie) for them. Whether that is a close friend who might as well be your sibling, to the didi who shares her homemade meal with you while in your hostel feeling homesick, it is a day to celebrate human connections.

In the spirit of this festival, we have curated a list of Rakhis that are modern, stylish and go beyond gendered notions, while also acting as worthwhile keepsakes.

From the ‘Pome Personalised Rakhi’ with a detachable initial that can be repurposed as an everyday bracelet, to the Chand Sitara Rakhi, Amama Jewellery launched their DOR collection for the Raksha Bandhan season. Playing into our nostalgia through their written and visual stories, this collection blends emotions with crafts. Prompting one to ‘relive the laughter, pranks and unspoken bonds’ with DOR, the brand talks about how this launch is a collection where each thread embraces the love for our siblings, as well as for tradition.

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An upcycled, eco-friendly brand, Lukka Chuppi primarily crafts bags that are consciously made with minimal wastage. The brand founded by designer Ishani Kanani crafts cotton fabric-covered clutches in myriad designs with wooden bases. Taking their sustainable cause a step further, Lukka Chuppi even lets you create custom pieces using the wooden base from their earlier pieces or craft custom clutches from their personal fabric collection. To make the most of even the smallest scraps that they have accumulated, Lukka Chuppi has launched a line of upcycled Rakhis that are perfect for your loved ones who appreciate simplicity, artistry, and handmade craftsmanship. The minimalist Rakhis are crafted by the Lukka Chuppi team using the remnants of the materials used to craft their bags, which are then thoughtfully packaged for Raksha Bandhan, and even come with small vials of ‘Chawal’ and ‘Kumkum’ that are traditionally used in the rites for the occasion.

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Designing “soft goods to simplify modern life”, Akiiko India offers a wide range of products made from natural fabrics, that can be weaved effortlessly into our daily routines. From bags to storage cubes for when you’re on the go to daily use home products like woven cotton waffle towels and scrunchies, their range is constantly growing. The eco-friendly brand recently launched its Rakhi collection, which offers varied designs combinations. From an assorted Rakhi box that includes their bead rakhis made from tulsi and Rudraksha to the circle Rakhis made from natural cotton, and a host of other Raksha Bandhan essentials, there is plenty to choose from across Akiiko’s Rakhi 2024 collection. 

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Renowned for its minimal, polished design language, Nappa Dori is a lifestyle brand that has captured the modern aesthete’s heart. The well-crafted pieces from the label founded by Gautam Sinha, are known for their globally appealing sensibilities. True to form, the Rakhis from Nappa Dori are handcrafted from genuine leather, meticulously detailed with stitches and simple weaves. Best of all: they're customisable. In addition to being a Rakhi that can be worn year-round, the brand can emboss your sibling's initials on these Rakhis, to truly make them one of a kind! 

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A brand that rose to fame for crafting products made from temple flowers, Phool has innovated in many ways to add to their repertoire of eco-conscious products. What started with incense cones has today developed to include biodegradable packaging and even bio-leathers. While they have done woven Rakhi designs in the past, for this year’s Raksha Bandhan collection, they launched a range of designs with motifs that ward off the evil eye or ‘nazar’ as it was referred to by our grandparents. They have a 7 Chakra Rakhi crafted with natural stones - Moakite, Mother of Pearl, Pink Quartz, Amethyst, Lapis Lazuli, Jade and Jasper - that activate the chakras, aligning with the ancient wisdom regarding these energy points. From mother-of-pearl hamsa designs to those featuring the iconic blue and white Nazar motif, the brand makes well-designed, hand-crafted Rakhis that can be worn long after Raksha Bandhan as a stylish accessory. 

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If you enjoyed reading this, here's more from Homegrown:

10 Homegrown Rakhis: Ungender Sibling Love This Raksha Bandhan

Celebrate Raksha Bandhan With These Consciously Crafted Artisanal Rakhis

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