Raksha Bandhan kits prepared by women self-help groups from the rural hinterlands of Jharkhand are in demand for the festival of sibling love on Sunday.
“On Saturday (the eve of Raksha Bandhan) we have crossed sales figures of Rs 5 lakh for the Raksha Bandhan kits. On a cumulative basis we have touched sales of nearly Rs 10 lakh which is amazing considering nearly 2,000 women associated with self-help groups in rural hinterlands took up the Raksha Bandhan kit project only a month ago under the Palash brand,” said Nancy Sahay, chief executive officer of the Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society.
The society, an arm of the rural development department, sells the products prepared by women SHGs in the state under the brand name Palash across all the 24 districts through Palash Marts and also on e-commerce platforms like Flipkart, Reliance Mart and Amazon.
The Raksha Bandhan kits comprise silk rakhis (prepared from handmade tasar silk threads), roli (vermilion) and akshat (rice) for applying the tika on a brother’s forehead while performing rituals, sandalwood matches and dry fruit pack containing cashew, raisins, pistachio, badam, etc.
“As a part of product diversification of Palash, we advised the women SHGs to try their hand in making rakhis and Raksha Bandhan kits. Several women SHGs from all the districts showed interest and brought out the products in a span of few weeks. All the products are in high demand in the very first year and the stock is almost exhausted. The products were much in demand due to two reasons — the low prices and good quality with innovative design,” said Sahay.
The Raksha Bandhan kits are available at prices ranging between Rs 251 and Rs 301 (based on the quantity of dry fruits) while the silk rakhis are priced between Rs 10 and Rs 30 (based on the size and design) and the Resham Rakhi fit pack with message cards is priced at Rs 150. The products are available online on the Palash app which can be downloaded from Google Play Store (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jslps.palashmart).
Chief minister Hemant Soren, who was presented with a silk rakhi during his recent visit to Godda in Santhal Pargana by a woman SHG member, was so impressed by the design that he had made an appeal on Friday to residents to buy these rakhis.
“This will help them increase their livelihood. We have to support them in their effort,” Soren said in a communiqué issued on Friday evening.
Women SHGs associated with the society are currently producing 60 products, including edible items, soaps, sanitisers, essential oils, sanitary napkins, tribal jewellery and handicrafts.
