Sibling bonding: Apart from traditional rakhis, an array of innovative designs are attracting people in the capital. Pictures by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 12: Residents of the capital are set to celebrate raksha bandhan with grandeur and elegance. Over the past few days, women have been flooding rakhi shops to buy the best rakhis in town for their brothers.

On an auspicious festival such as rakhi, money is hardly of any significance. Sisters are ready to go the extent of buying rakhis worth hundreds of rupees. Taking advantage of this, rakhi sellers have hiked the price of rakhis like never before.

However, the most interesting thing is the ensemble of rakhis displayed at various kiosks in the city. An array of threads accessorised with beads, colourful stones and cartoon characters are a treat for one’s eye.

This year rakhi-sellers have come up with unique designs to play with the mood of the customers. Along with the traditional floral patterns, there are rakhis that glow in the dark and even silver plated or diamond-studded rakhis.

One can find the resham dori transformed into rakhi-cum-key chain or the shape of the rakhi designed in the form of a miniature traditional thali that includes sweets, lamp and tika.

To win over the younger siblings, girls are also picking rakhis in the shape of toy mobile phones or the ones illustrated with characters of Chote Bhim, Ganesha, Krishna or cartoons such as Tweety, Spiderman and others.

“This year we have tried to get rakhis of different designs as customers were complaining about the same old floral patterns last year. Our highlight is the radium rakhis that glow at night. It is not only cheap and affordable but stylish as well. Hence, it is really popular among the customers,” said Madhav, a rakhi-seller from Kharavela Nagar.

The price range of these rakhis varies from Rs 5 to Rs 250 depending on the craftwork. Pure silk threads that are considered auspicious as rakhis are available from Rs 30 onwards.

“I have seven brothers and I am going to give them the best rakhis available. Price does not matter; it is the only day in the year when we can show how much we love them. I will also make sure that it has a silk thread since it is believed to strengthen the bond between siblings,” said Deepa, a customer.

A new trend on rise is the online rakhi. Brothers and sisters living miles apart are opting for this novel idea. Free online rakhi e-cards with beautiful quotes are also attracting many people.

“My brother lives in the United States and for the past two years I have been sending rakhi e-cards as this is the easiest way to communicate my feelings to him,” said Bratati, a college student.