Rakhi For A Cause: Opt For Handmade Bamboo Rakhis Made By Tribal Artisans This Festive Season

Tribal artisans from Lawad, Meghlat, are creating special eco-friendly rakhis made out of bamboo scraps with the help of a local NGO, Venu Shilpi Industrial Co-operative Society, and they're so pretty and economical that you'd want to buy them all (or wish you had like 15 brothers.)

Sampoorna Bamboo Kendra, which is an association based in Melghat, is taking what’s precious to them, bamboo, and bringing it to the city of Mumbai on the special occasion of Rakhshabandhan. The tribals (adivasis) from Lawad are sourcing natural material like bamboo shavings to create bases for the rakhi, and then decorating it with beautiful patches of shiny beads, threads and more.

These green rakhis are not only sustainable, but is also one of the sources of income for the Melghat tribal community. If you haven’t seen these rakhis around, that’s because the NGO hasn’t marketed it, but has still managed to sell almost 8,000 rakhis in Mumbai solely on of word-of-mouth via Whatsapp messages last year. This year, they're back in the game with around 1 lakh plus rakhis for the season and are aiming to sell them (INR 25 to INR 40 per rakhi) not only nationally but also internationally. 

Ditch the mass-produced rakhis in the market, and support the Melghat tribals, and their artwork. Most of these rakhis can be bought by calling up people who (housewives, friends of the NGO) keep a stock, and can arrange to send the rakhis to you. You can get them by calling on 9764639457 too. 

Other contact numbers: +91 996755439, +91 998760567, +91 8879191722, +91 9867234891