Go eco-friendly this Raksha Bandhan with Seed Rakhis

Hyderabad: With Raksha Bandhan festival round the corner, many Rakhi-makers in the city have come up with the unique and eco-friendly Seed Rakhi.

Various online selling and nursery platforms and self-help groups have come up with the concept of making and selling Seed Rakhis across the country to protect the environment. Keeping in view the current pandemic, people have become more conscious of their surroundings and this has resulted in huge demand for eco-friendly products such as Rakhis that are made of naturally-dyed, soft indigenous organic cotton yarn and seeds.

"Our organisation--Plan A Plant--is an online nursery platform. The concept of Seed Rakhis was started by various outlets in Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan in 2018, and it was picked up by Hyderabad this year. The main motto behind the initiative is to encourage people to plant at least a single plant in their backyards," said Ganesh Amarnath, co-founder, Plan A Plant.

He added that after the Raksha Bandhan festival, the seed could be removed from the Rakhi and sown in a pot. And in two to three days, it would germinate and within six to 10 days, a sapling would emerge. "As these seeds basically are of vegetables, flowers and herbs, the life span of the plants would be six months to one year. Based on design, the price starts from Rs 150. Anybody who wants to buy can get it at www.planaplant.com," he said.

According to Surya Kala, founder, Mana Ooru Mana Bhadhyatha, "Hindu festivals and rituals are mostly related to science of protecting the nature, environment, health, preserving biodiversity and also human relations. Seed Rakhi symbolises the same and also reflects our responsibility in preserving the nature by planting seeds post festival."

She said that this year their organisation had come up with the initiative of Seed Rakhis. Elaborating further, she said that the sacred threads were made of cow dung and several organic materials and the seed was inserted in the middle of the thread. When the seed is planted along with the thread, the cow dung and the organic materials in the thread help in seed germination by providing necessary nutrients. "Women from many self-help groups are helping us to make these Rakhis," she informed.

A senior member at www.seedrakhi.com said, "We were the first online platform to sell Seed Rakhis. Slowly its gained popularity among others. These Rakhis are made by crocheting naturally-dyed hand-spun organic cotton yarn. They are embedded with seeds of native vegetables, such as pumpkin, tomato, basil seeds and more. After prolonged use, instead of throwing them away, you can plant them in your garden and watch them grow. These are priced between Rs 350 and Rs 750."