Shree Utsav, organised by Salt Lake Mahila Mandal at Aayojan Banquet Hall opposite City Centre, featured stalls selling clothes, jewellery and foodstuff. But with the fair being held ahead of Raksha Bandhan on August 28, rakhis were an important part of the offering.

"I have four sisters and I ensure they all come down from different cities for Rakhi, so we turn it into a big festival," said industrialist and film producer Amitabh Dassani, who was a guest at the event. Actress and former Mrs India International Richa Sharma, attended too. "I hail from Kanpur, and miss my brother throughout the year. So on Rakhi, either he or I try to travel and meet up." Both were looking forward to Rakhi and checking out the different kinds of rakhis on offer.

Multi-purpose rakhi

Charu Saraf of the Knitknot stall had got crochet rakhis that doubled up as keychains. "For Marvel fans of all ages, so I've knitted crochet superheroes. They're beautiful, but take me about an hour and a half to make and cost buyers Rs 80-350. So why let them go to waste after just one day? By making the rakhis double as superhero keychains, they can be used indefinitely," she said.

She also made lumba-rakhi sets. While rakhis are tied to brothers' wrists, lumbas are tied to sisters-in-law's bangles.

The children's rakhi collection at Savita's Creations featured cartoon characters and doubled up as whistles. "Some rakhis have erasers at the centre that kids can use later in school," said Savita Choraria of Lake Town. Prices ranged from Rs 10 to Rs 300.

The Knot and Bloom stall pushed the envelope further, offering stone-studded bracelets that could be passed off as rakhis. "Why not make something that sisters-in-law would want to wear round the year?" asked Priyanka Bharunt, a resident of New Town's CB Block.

For children, she had rakhis that could later be used as hair clips, as well as toy cameras with lights, keychains and toy purses. She was also selling mosquito-repellent bands as rakhis. "These are Chinese and cost Rs 80, but we are repurposing them. These bands are most effective if worn while sleeping, so that's all the more reason to keep wearing the 'rakhi'," Bharunt said.

Kanchan Binda of Kavi Creations had attached threads to lip glosses and compact nail-art sets and turned them into lumbas. For men, she repurposed leather wristbands with bike motifs or spinners. "The thread doesn't last long anyway, so these bands have been given buckles," she said. The rakhis cost around Rs 200 and, like those at the other stalls, are also available through social media.

Old faithfuls

All said and done, however, traditional rakhis continue to have a big draw.

The Perfect Parcel had brought bracelets to which customers could choose and slide in different charms. But they also had mauli rakhis (the traditional one made of red and yellow threads). "No matter how fancy the rakhis I make, I know that the Rs 10-15 maulis will outnumber the fancy ones three to one," said Disha Bachhawat. "Innovative rakhis are on the rise, but their takers are young people. For the older generation, maulis are reminders of their childhood."

Sadhana Sethia of CJ Block had brought traditional rakhis featuring mandala art. "Why should the central theme of an Indian festival be something Western?" asked the lady behind the Kiddling brand. "Mandala art is so pretty that it is something children deserve to know. This art can be colourful, just like our relationships."

"This was the first exhibition by our group, and response was great," said president of the ladies' organisation Prem Daga. "We held it right before the festive season as it would help customers and also help sellers find and establish a market for their products," said co-ordinator Sushila Chopra, as event minister Kusum
Sekhani agreed.