Festive preparations are in full swing across the country as Raksha Bandhan approaches on August 28. In Dehradun, women associated with local self-help groups are crafting handmade Rakhis that are witnessing a sharp surge in market demand. Backed by the National Rural Livelihood Mission, women across various development blocks in the state are turning Rakhi crafting into a viable livelihood, boosting their incomes and achieving self-reliance. Women from Dehradun and several other districts have collaborated to design attractive, novel Rakhis. An exhibition is currently underway at the secretariat in Dehradun until August 27, featuring a diverse array of handmade Rakhis brought in by women from across the state.
Birch Bark and Pine Needles Create Unique Designs
Local entrepreneur Namita रावत from Dehradun shared that more than twenty women are currently associated with her organization to craft these festive threads. Their creations are receiving an overwhelming response at exhibitions. These products are entirely eco-friendly and free of harsh chemicals. Rakhis fashioned from pine needles, locally known as pirul, and ancient birch bark are particularly popular. Birch bark holds immense religious sanctity and has been used in auspicious rituals since ancient times. While pirul leaves are notorious for fueling devastating forest fires, these women are ingeniously transforming them into baskets, decorative temples, jewelry, and now intricate Rakhis. Namita noted that for the very first time, they have introduced delicate crochet-crafted Rakhis to the market.
Secretariat Exhibition and Expanding Digital Reach
According to Dehradun Assistant Project Director Anita Pawar, special stalls have been set up inside the Uttarakhand Secretariat from August 24 to 27 under the Chief Minister Empowered Sister Scheme. At these counters, women from self-help groups are exhibiting and selling a wide variety of hill-based and local products alongside their Rakhis. Approximately one thousand five hundred Rakhis have already arrived at the venue. These women are also fulfilling online orders received through digital platforms and delivering them directly to customers, thereby expanding their commercial reach beyond local brick-and-mortar markets into the digital economy.
Grassroots Empowerment Across Sahaspur and Doiwala
Women belonging to self-help groups stationed in the Sahaspur and Doiwala development blocks are also engaged in large-scale Rakhi production. Chief Development Officer Abhinav Shah emphasized that continuous efforts are being made under the Chief Minister Empowered Sister Scheme to provide women with sustainable self-employment opportunities, ensuring economic empowerment at the grassroots level.
