Raksha Bandhan 2021: With This Seed Rakhi, Gift Your Sibling The Hope Of A Healthy Environment

How would you like if your sibling gifted you a rakhi and then, after a week or so, there is a plant in your pot which stands witness to the shared sibling love? And more so, the plant gives out hope of a clean environment and a better nature. This is not a dream anymore, thanks to many self-help groups, online selling and nursery platforms that have propped up and have taken the depleting condition of our environment rather seriously. After living one and a half years in the middle of a pandemic, people have grown to appreciate the nature more and are also more concerned about contributing to its betterment. So, platforms across the country have started the concept of seed rakhis – the rakhis are naturally-dyed, soft indigenous organic cotton yarn and seeds.

An online nursery platform spoke to Hans India where they said that this trend of gifting seed rakhis started in states like Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan long back in 2018 and was later picked up by Hyderabad. Since Hindu festivals are associated with the idea of hope, harmony, well being and environmental conservation, the idea of gifting someone a seed rakhi seems to reinstate the same.

After the raksha bandhan festival, the seed can be separated from the rakhi and planted in a pot. It will take two to three days to germinate and the sapling will grow within 10 to 12 days. Since the seeds are mostly of vegetables, flowers and herbs, the plants come with the life span of six months to one year.

Another similar nursing platform’s spokesperson informed the publication that sometimes the thread of the rakhi is made with cow dung and the seed is inserted in the middle. So, when the seed is planted, the cow dung serves as a good manure which helps in further growth. Many women in self-help groups have volunteered in supporting this cause that add to environmental preservation.

Embedded with seeds from tomato, pumpkin, basil and other vegetables, these rakhis are priced around Rs 350-400 and serves much bigger cause.

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