'Corona rakhi' made out of cow dung becomes huge hit in Hyderabad

Guwahati: Despite the challenges posited by the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the festival of Raksha Bandhan has been celebrated this year on 3rd August to commemorate the special bond between brother and sister. Amid the muted celebrations, an "eco-friendly" rakhi made out of cowdung has become all the rage in Telangana's capital Hyderabad.

Akash, the shop owner who came up with this bizarre idea, told mediapersons that he came up with such a novel idea as the sales are low due to the ongoing pandemic. "Sales this year are low because of the pandemic so I tried to come up with something that might induce people to buy my rakhis. This year I am selling a 'Corona rakhi' made of cow dung. A few people have bought it and they seem to like it.", he said. The Hyderabad shopkeeper further added that he opened his shop amid uncertainty as one cannot be sure nowadays of getting returns on their investments.

"I had to put all my faith in this haul of this because I was not sure if they would sell it or not. I don't want my investment to go waste as this occasion only comes once a year and I will have to wait a whole year to sell items if they don't sell today," he added.

It has also not been easy for those businesses which depend on festivals to get it running. As a direct consequence of this, shopkeepers have been trying to entice the people with new and innovative ways of marketing their goods. Akash's "corona rakhi" is one such example. With the debate seeming to swirl over the virus and a respite from this not being seen in the near horizons, the coronavirus-themed wares are being seen as a legitimate way to woo shoppers amid the pandemic.

Raksha Bandhan is marked by sisters tying the sacred thread on the wrists of their brothers while they promise to always protect their sisters from all evils. But this year, countrymen and women have been advised to celebrate the festival within the confines of their homes. This year, only 'immediate families' are expected to celebrate this age-old Indian tradition.

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