With Raksha Bandhan tomorrow (August 19) the only shopping you need to concentrate upon this weekend is buying rakhis! If you haven’t done your shopping yet, there is still time. If you aren’t sure what to buy and where to buy it from, fret not, My Kolkata has you covered with some spots around south Kolkata that will help with your search. Keep reading to find out what to buy from where and for how much.
Jadubabur Bazar in Bhowanipore
New Fancy Store is a 30-year-old shop in Jadubabur Bazar in Bhowanipore that has the widest range of rakhis that go from a price of Rs 5 to Rs 500. A ‘Bhai and Bhabhi’ set is available as well as rakhis made with resin. Children’s rakhis come in designs of various cartoon characters, including those with lights, a pen and an eraser. A one-stop shop for all kinds of rakhis, including fancy ones, that look like stunning jewellery, makes this shop in Bhowanipore a go-to for your Raksha Bandhan shopping.
Location: New Fancy Store, Jadubabur Bazar, opp Green Palace Bar
Timings: 8.30am to 9pm
Prices: Children’s rakhis: Up to Rs 20, Red bracelet rakhi: Rs 500, Bhai and Bhabhi Rakhi: Rs 30-500
Near Netaji Bhavan Metro
Opposite Gate No. 4 of Netaji Bhavan Metro station, Proshanto Das has a hawker stall on the road with a wide range of rakhis. With kids’ rakhis sporting designs of Doraemon, Motu Patlu, Spider-man, Mickey Mouse and unicorns, as well as Pikachu rakhis that light up and also are shaped like a whistle, the prices here are just perfect with each piece not costing more than Rs 20. The friendly shopkeeper also has a variety of rakhis for adults with the classic designs. But the rakhis for children was what attracted us to this stall.
Location: In front of Gate No. 4 Netaji Bhavan Metro
Timings: 8am to 10pm
Prices: Rs 20 per piece for children’s rakhis
Lake Market
We move towards Lake Market for our second spot for rakhi shopping in south Kolkata. If you approach Lake Mall from Rashbehari crossing, take a right and head straight instead of going into the gully beside Lake Mall, You will find multiple hawkers on the roads with several options to choose from. We checked out Jadav Prasad Sharma’s shop, where there are golden rakhis as well as rakhis for children available at different prices.
Location: Lake Market
Timings: 8am to 11pm
Prices: Kid’s rakhis: Rs 40; gold rakhi: Rs 200
Lake Market opposite Timsys
The last hawker on the right-hand side, if your back is turned to Lake Mall, you will find Suman Dutta, who sells several varieties of rakhis. With Tom and Jerry, Chhota Bheem, Doraemon rakhis with lights and even PUBG rakhis, this could be your one-stop rakhi shop in Lake Market. They even have a lot of rakhis for adults with rather beautiful designs.
Location: Lake Market opposite Timsys
Timing:9.30am to 10.30pm
Price: PUBG: Rs 40; Tom & Jerry and Chhota Bheem: Rs 30; Doraemon: Rs 40, rakhis for adults: Rs 250
Gariahat Market
How can you talk about shopping in south Kolkata and not mention Gariahat? If you turn right at the Gariahat crossing towards Southern Avenue on the footpath, one of the first shops there has a nice collection of rakhis to choose from. Bicky is the shopkeeper and will show you every item you want to see. In addition to the Bheem, Doraemon and PUBG rakhis, he also sells Shinchan, Batman and Superman rakhis. The most expensive rakhi in his shop is for adults at Rs 250.
Location: Gariahat KMC Market pavement
Timings: 9am to 10pm
Price: All children’s rakhis are for Rs 20, rakhis for adults go upto Rs 250
Gariahat (Anandamela)
If you can see KFC on the opposite footpath, you know you are at the correct location, which is a shop run by Uttam. A rather small hawker stall, this was the first and only place where we found rakhis that said ‘BRO’ on them. Pikachu and other kids’ rakhis are also available here, with the most expensive rakhi being Rs 70 because it’s hand-made. Check out Uttam’s stall to find the perfect rakhi that says ‘BRO’.
Location: Gariahat (Anandamela) footpath opposite KFC
Timings: 10am to 10pm
Prices: Pikachu and kids’ rakhis: Rs 20; Handmade rakhi: Rs 70; Bro rakhi: Rs 40