NEW NORMAL: Raksha Bandhan in knots, homemade mithai and rakhis the new fervour

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, July 22

The Raksha Bhandan festival has dropped in at a wrong time. The timing couldn’t have been more worse as the coronavirus has the shifted the face of spotlight on self leaving only an iota for everything in vicinity.

The charm is completely lost.

For the brother-sisters living in different states, the celebrations are limited to online mode via video-calling and sending of rakhis possible only through courier or through wired services. Perhaps, those residing locally or within state are better off for they may travel to catch up and spend time with their families together on this special day.

But certainly, the losing of charm factor can be plumbed by the nosediving sale of rakhis this time around. So far, there hasn’t been much, giving the shopkeepers the blues. Many young girls who would buy fancy rakhis are now making use of the available craft material at home including colourful wool, ribbons, glitters, mirrors, craft paper etc for they donot want to venture into the market at a time when stakes of catching the virus are as high as the sky. “For years, we have learned to come up with one in school as there used to be a rakhi making and thali decoration contests every year. We will put the ideas used then into practical use now”, says Sneha Arora, a teenager.

In addition to this, many families have been avoiding visiting a sweet shop and have taken to YouTube these days for making mithai at home, say, the homemade kaju barfi or ras malai too could be an option this time. “We will prepare mithai on Sunday, a day prior to rakhi, and can use it the next day. Even my brother would be happier getting a pack of sweets made by me,” says Divyanshi, a resident of Urban Estate.

Ultimately, there are many who feel that instead of slogging in kitchen in the hot, humid weather, buying chocolate packs and tinned sweets could be a better option. Meanwhile, many feel that the festivals should be celebrated with usual fervour with family members – basically, have no fear — and that market stuff purchased and used carefully would do no harm.

Distinct may be the opinions, but one should keep in mind the wrath of virus.

QUOTES:

“I tie seven rakhis on this day including those to my real brother and cousins. They all are local. I have plans to make some designer threads at home and am arranging material from my craft boxes. We are also planning to make sweets of dry fruits and milk at home.”

Latika Sehgal, a resident of Kalia Colony

“We will get rakhis two days in advance, sanitise them and keep them safely till Raksha Bandhan. We may get chocolate packets or tinned rasogullas for sweet sharing.There will be no cooking of chhola-bhatura this time as we will all be keeping fast”.

Shrishti Sachdeva

“I have three brothers whom I tie rakhi. Two of them are in Belgium and I have already sent them in a courier pack with some other items. I have my cousin in the US. But couriers this time have become very costly, so I may use Amazon this time.”

Seema Thakur

“Frankly, I am not at all scared of the spread. So, as usual we three sisters are already planning to catch up with our brother in Ludhiana on Raksha Bandhan, provided they get passes to travel. It will be a routine celebration of the festival for us.”

Anjana Thatai