Ranchi: On the occasion of Rakshabandhan women of Sakhi Mandals are busy making Rakhis. Rakhi made of silk thread is the center of attraction this time. These rural women have been trained in making Rakhi by the Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS), Rural Development Department.
Along with this, the branding and marketing of Rakhi manufactured by them is being done under the Palash brand. More than 550 women from about 75 SHGs in eight districts of the state namely Ranchi, Hazaribagh, Dumka, Giridih, Ramgarh, Bokaro, Dhanbad and Lohardaga are increasing their income opportunities by directly engaging in Rakhi manufacturing and selling work.
Till now more than 25,000 attractive Rakhis have been manufactured by the trained didis of Sakhi Mandal and sale is also being done at the district and block level through Palash Mart and Palash Exhibition cum Sales Counter of the respective districts. This initiative of making Rakhi is also generating additional income for the Didis.
The products of Sakhi Mandal of the state have got a new identity through Palash and the income has also increased. Hand-made rakhis are becoming the center of attraction among the people. These women have been taught the art of making 20-25 types of Rakhi using organic material under special training.
Now showcasing their art women are making different designs of Rakhis using organic materials like paddy, rice, molly thread, cotton thread, silk thread, pearls, sawdust, turmeric, alata etc. Specially designed cloth rakhi by Hazaribagh Sakhi Mandal, which is very attractive and attractive. Among them are smiley rakhi, emoji rakhi, brother rakhi, rudraksh rakhi, chocolate rakhi etc.
The price of handmade rakhi is between Rs 10 to Rs 280. Lalita Devi of Radha Sakhi Mandal of Kutumsukri village of Ichak block of Hazaribagh district says that it costs them Rs 16-17 to make rakhis and will make a good income by selling rakhis for Rs 20-25. In the future these rakhis will be made on a large scale but she wants to make and sell so that she can earn more.
15 women of Bansgoda East Aajeevika Mahila Sankul Sangathan of Chas block of Bokaro district are working to make Rakhi. So far 8000 rakhis have been made by the didis of these 15 Sakhi Mandal, which are being sold through Palash Mart. Mehnaz Begum, a resident of Hesbatu, says that so far 8000 rakhis have been made by her village organization, from which she expects a profit
of about Rs 25-30 thousand.
Fancy rakhis manufactured by sisters of Sakhi Mandal are available for sale at Palash Mart, JSLPS State Office, Hehal. People can shop for fancy and attractive rakhis at affordable prices from here. Every purchase will give wings to the spirits of rural women of the state and their income will increase.
Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society, under the Department of Rural Development, the products of Sakhi Mandals were launched by the Chief Minister in September 2020 through the trademark “Palash Brand”. At present, 29 identified agricultural and nonagricultural-based products under the Palash brand have been made available in the market at reasonable prices to the general public on the basis of the set standards of quality.