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| Visitors at the Rakhi Mela organised by Marwari Mahila Manch at Agrasen Bhavan in Sakchi on Monday. Picture by Bhola Prasad |
Whoever warned against mixing business and pleasure got it wrong. Marwari Mahila Manch in Jamshedpur is gearing up to celebrate Raksha Bandhan with a platform for women entrepreneurs to exhibit diverse products under a single roof.
The four-day Rakhi Mela at Agrasen Bhavan, Sakchi, inaugurated by East Singhbhum additional deputy commissioner Ganesh Kumar on Monday, is a shoppers’ paradise with a cause.
With just a month left for Raksha Bandhan, women and girls are already in buy-buy mode for their brothers as well as themselves. And when the sellers happen to be women too, their economic empowerment enhances the pleasure of splurging.
The beeline of shoppers buying the best designer rakhis, saris, anarkali kurtas, knick-knacks for the home, beauty products and gift items on Day One was proof enough of the venture’s success. Women entrepreneurs were from Jamshedpur, Ranchi, Dhanbad, Dalbhumgarh and even from Bengal — Calcutta and Purulia —showcasing their talents in across as many as 45 kiosks.
There were novel hand-crafted designer rakhis and envelopes, batuas, paintings, attire of gods and goddesses, clothes and more.
But not surprisingly, what stole the show was the rakhis — from elegant yet simple threads to ornate ones studded with pearls and stones.
“Rakhis start from Rs 10. We also have the lumba (ethnic jewellery for sisters-in-law in the Marwari community), baju bandh (armlets) and kamardhani (waistbands) priced around Rs 450,” said kiosk owner Khushboo Jalan.
“This fair has always been a platform to promote women, their business and creativity. We have been organising it every year for more than a decade now. We give them a banner under which they can sell their skills and let others know about the good job they do,” said Kiran Debuka, president of Marwari Mahila Manch (Jamshedpur chapter).
“Many homemakers have amazing talent, but need just a little marketing push,” she smiled.
