The Rakhi Disarray

<Logged in after long> 
<Clearing all the drafts and consolidating my scribbles strewn all over>
<Posting those that don't make me look totally insane>

Rakhi Purnima, the tradition that has always been close to the hearts of all the brothers and sisters, cutting across regions in the country, the market is on a boom and the courier traffic becomes fussy, well the season is here now. Though I grew up in South India where Rakhi was and is never given much of an importance as in comparison to the North Indian traditions, the brother-sister relationship has been eulogised widely from the then Raktha Sambandham till the recent releases like the Rakhi both in cinema and in family circles,appropriately and adequately. Also a decently long acquaintance with, and exposure to the North Indian culture has helped me develop a habit, to send a Rakhi through post, every year.

Mythology says that Lord Ganesh conceded to the demands of his two sons Shubh and Labh, creating Santoshi Ma from out of the divine flames that emerged from Siddhi and Riddhi. But I am sure they did not have a cartoon Rakhi tied round their wrist as a symbol of protection and surely, they did not exchange illustrated, folded cards featuring sentiment.

Call me old-fashioned, but all that the market offered me was cosmetic-tradition this year. It was harder to find an appropriate Rakhi than ever before. I spent four hours in the market searching for a traditional, appropriate Rakhi, but all in vain, I wanted to send my brother one of those with a gold foil that are bigger than his wrist. When in school, as far as I recall, the guys in our class used to parade the big Rakhis, a proud show off it was. They also used to have those petty contests on who had the maximum number of Rakhi, it was fun. But now, all I get is the small threads fallibly bound together with a little pendant in the middle. Washy and weak were all the models I got. Apparently, they call it ‘re-inventing Rakhi’ these days, giving them a Royal touch. Royal touch, one can live with but it was more than just that, I saw a Doremon Rakhi during my quests in the market, may be that is what is called Indianizing Modern market! Emphatically, I can never call them the sacred threads of protection embellished with the love and affection of a sister for her brother and definitely, can never call it the iron chain that binds the relationship strong. Having fun models and encouraging the designers’ innovation is, well, desirable. It can be a perceivable change one can make peace with, but transforming it as a whole! While it is like this I have to mention a friend of mine who hates the tradition of Rakhi, just because he feels that, once he gets a Rakhi tied round his wrist he is accepting that his sister is weak and needs protection. And he does not like that! One hell of a feminist he is! And I admire that.. Well, I'd say, As it is brothers and sisters these days seldom meet in person, it is all a virtual space meeting and sharing through couriers and e-mails and unfortunately, that also cannot be gotten right. I know it is not about the ‘look’, it is about keeping the culture alive, but why replace it when you can just have an add-on.  After a painstakingly long ordeal in the market all I got was a fancily fragile Rakhi that was a little bigger than the others. Trust me when I say, I had a difficulty in finding the ones that looked remotely traditional with the right colours put in. It actually gets worse. The incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs is, now that the Friendship Day is here, just days away from Rakshabandhan, it is getting harder and harder to differentiate between the two, Rakhi and the Friendship bands. What my brother gets tied around his wrist today is the same as what I might get three days later, but only, they are friends. So it is all relative. If it is a family member and you tie on the full moon day, it is a Rakhi and if it is around your wrist three days later, you are a friend. I was checking my Facebook profile the other day pictures with traditional wristbands with a pooja thali carefully clicked with studio lightings and digitally edited text on the image wishing Rakshabandhan and a similar wrist band with no pooja thali, wishing Friendship day celebrations, being widely circulated made me laugh. Now that the market determines not to waste its preconceived production, it is time we bid farewell to the traditional designs and it will be much better if stop differentiating between the two. Let me leave it at, happy celebrations, whatever is round your wrist!

PS:: That friend of mine I was telling, and me, though contradicting each other in every aspect possible, have common feelings towards friendship day.. Everyday is a friendship day,friends are an inevitable part of who you are,you think there is a necessity,other than market, to have a friendship day? Not that I don't warmly receive wishes, but what is the point? I love my friends and will love and live for them no matter what.. They know it! A band or a card need not prove that, and just one Sunday out of the 52(3) Sundays, can not definitely prove that enough.. Sometimes a moment is enough, sometimes a gesture is enough, sometimes a simple smile will do, to show how precious friends are..

Long Post Script huh? :P ;)