This year let's protect one another and the culture we uphold
By: Mayuri Srivastava, (IICD,Jaipur)
This year let’s protect one another and the culture we uphold.
With Rakhi just around the corner, it's that time of the year again - brothers are on the hunt for the perfect gift while sisters are looking for the ideal rakhi and waiting for their exciting presents.
We've all celebrated this joyous festival for years and years with a believe that it is a sisters day. It is a day that is looked forward to for its gifts and delicacies. Growing up, it's more about getting to go home and spending time with family. All in all, this festival is one that we all talk about while discussing our heritage and where we come from.
A lot has changed in society including neutrality in gender. Raksha Bandhan is not merely a festival; it has social impact. If men and women are equal; and if gender laws are being modified, why can’t festivals become more inclusive and neutral. Why should only brothers protect sisters? Sisters are equally strong. They can and always fight for their brothers’ well-being. The emphasis was earlier placed by the patriarchal society that probably a woman is too weak to take care of and protect herself all alone, and therefore celebrating these age-old rakhi rituals need to change. Earlier, it was about celebrating the dependency but now it needs to be replaced with celebrating the love for one another.
We wish to celebrate the festival in a non-patriarchal, gender-neutral and reciprocal way as this is a ritual where the ties must have powerful love bond, nothing else.
Image credit: Sai Miran(Cheriyal artist) and lalima (Talpatta artist)
Let's celebrate this Rakhsha bandhan with gender-neutrality along with the Handcrafted Rakhi’s and express our emotions of love, care and respect that’s all ! It is a great way to challenge the prevalent notion that,“sisters must tie rakhis”.
Shop our beautiful handcrafted rakhis from our site in order to celebrate this 'Khushiyon ka tyohaar' with our artisans and artists and show your bond of love and concern for them.
