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With Raksha Bandhan round the corner, the streets of old Ahmedabad have come alive in a vibrant display of tradition and love.
Stalls, shacks, and narrow lanes of Tankshal in Kalupur brim with colourful threads of faith — rakhis of every hue and design — eagerly awaiting to be picked by sisters for their brothers.
At the wholesale market in Kalupur, small retailers and street vendors are flocking to stock on rakhis. Not just from Gujarat, but traders from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and other states have also arrived for purchases.
According to traders, rakhi sales in the city’s markets are estimated to cross ₹200 crore in just one month.
These rakhis, which cost just ₹1.50 to ₹2 to produce, are infusing new energy in the markets amid the monsoon.
With less than a month left for the Raksha Bandhan festival celebrated on Shravan Purnima, the Kalupur market is witnessing a rush of customers. Rakhis in the price range of ₹1.50 to ₹150 are sold here.
In areas like Shah Alam, Bapunagar, India Colony, and Ranip, hundreds of women work throughout the year to craft rakhis by stringing pearls, kundan, beads, and stones into creative designs. The threads mainly come from the Tankshal area, while pearls and other materials are sourced from cities like Delhi.
Some fancy stones and brooches even come from China. For children, cartoon-themed and illuminated rakhis are primarily imported from Delhi and China.
Currently, only a few stalls are active in the Manek Chowk and Delhi Darwaza rakhi markets, and most sales are limited to NRIs and overseas shipping.
Over the last year or so, rakhis themed on the Ram Mandir and Shri Ram have gained popularity.
This year, pastel-coloured and dual-tone thread rakhis are particularly eye-catching. Additionally, resin art, plantable (seeded), and customised rakhis are seeing a huge surge in online sales.