Rakhi ka bandhan

I am not talking about Rakhi ka swayamvar if that's what you have in mind. I don't blame ya coz this new reality show on the Indian channels is as melodramatic as it can get and a good source of 'put-your-head-aside' entertainment.

I am talking about our good ole festival, Rakshabandhan. Come to think of this. We celebrate a lot of days based on relationships. Mother's Day, Father's Day, Teacher's Day, Valentine's Day, Children's Day, Friendship Day. So a Sibling's Day becomes more than just appropriate, doesn't it? Though most of the other days are 'amrikan' and not completely acceptable to our society (how can we forget the passion with which our beloved Shiv Sena loves to destroy any 'foren' culture invasion), Rakshabandhan, however, is greeted with honor and tradition considering its mythological origin.

Is Raksha bandhan still celebrated traditionally? Well, apparently, the rakhis are getting more and more traditional with every season. The silk dhagas come with beads and stones well accompanied by the choiciest mithai boxes, puja thalis or even chocolate hampers. Yes, there are designer rakhis embellished with pearls and gems, but they tend to showcase the most conventional form of our culture. The zardosi and meenakari painted rakhis come with an ethnic scroll that dole out sanskrit shlokas and poems on the love between a brother and sister. And mind you, they are not without an English translation to make them more comprehensible. With the invasion of technology and in the new era of E-commerce, we have all this available online. Beautiful rakhis and gifts are just a click away. Talking about gifts, not only do you have perfumes to microwaves for your sisters, there are also gift packs for brothers that include the latest gadgetry and spa gift certificates. Talk about a reverse trend here. In fact, I also send my rakhi to my brother with a gift pack. And yes, lets not forget the entire array of shinchan and doremon and spiderman rakhis and goodies for the kids.

Well, some say we have marred our tradition. I don't agree. Marrying the technology with tradition is I think the spice that'll enrich our lives and enlighten our souls. Changing times have made us geographically apart, but doesn't facebook and orkut keep us even more updated than ever before? So let the siblings who live overseas get their rakhis and gifts via fedex, it does definitely bring a smile to our faces. And for the locals, though the rakhi celebrations becomes a strictly Sunday affair, atleast you get to enjoy it without any work hurdles.

Happy Rakhi!!!