Traditional rakhis have a charm that continues to endure, even as colourful and designer rakhis dominate the festive market. For many, the simple woollen rakhi remains an essential part of the Raksha Bandhan ritual, carrying with it a sense of familiarity and tradition. Keeping this legacy alive is Barad Sunitha, popularly known as Rakhi Sunitha, who has been making traditional rakhis for the past seven years, following in the footsteps of her mother, Chandrakala. Sunitha’s connection with rakhi-making goes back decades. “My mother used to do this business 40 years ago and, soon after her death, I took over the work,” she says. Today, she operates from Hyderabad and supplies rakhis to wholesale markets, from where they make their way to villages and districts across India.
Her work continues to focus largely on traditional varieties. “In rakhis, we work on doodhi rakhi, buman rakhi, chamki rakhi and small-size batana rakhi. In Kardona, we have around three to four varieties — 25 moti, 50 moti, 100 moti and three moti are used to make these rakhis,” she explains. The raw materials travel from different parts of the country before being transformed into the familiar rakhis. “The material comes from Ahmedabad, Delhi and Mumbai. From Ahmedabad we get wool, from Delhi we get cheri and from Mumbai we get moti. From Hyderabad, we source the thread, while from Narayanpet we get rui,” shares Sunitha. The
rui is procured in large quantities, coloured and dried before
being prepared for use.
The making of each rakhi involves several stages and relies heavily on skilled craftsmanship. “First, we take the thread count. After making 100 threads, we cut them, soak them in water, apply colour and then dry them. After this process, we give them to the karigar to make the rakhi,” she says.
The wool, meanwhile, arrives ready-made and is counted before being handed over to the karigars. For Kardona rakhis, Sunitha explains, “We make a count of 100 of each of these threads and then fit in the moti that we get from Mumbai and give them to the karigar to complete the process. Once it is done, we cut it according to the required size.” Over the years, the network of artisans working with her has become an important part of the business. “I have about 60 people working for me. They pick up the material from me and make the rakhis whenever they have time. Every piece involves the work and expertise of different people,” she notes. At one point, nearly 100 people were associated with her work, but the number has now come down to around 60. Production depends on the karigars and the time available to them. “We make about 100 packs per day, and one packet has around 300 rakhis,” Sunitha highlights.
While traditional rakhis remain her speciality, the business is not without its challenges. Sunitha says she has not received any government support and has had to manage the enterprise largely on her own. “If I work for 12 months, I get the wage for a living. This is a yearlong work for me,” she says. Her work extends beyond making the rakhis to handling their packing and distribution. “I make bumni rakhi as well. There is a worker who comes for two months and manages the packing of these rakhis. I supply these rakhis to stores. I only work on rakhi, and this itself is a risky process for a single woman to maintain the business,” she explains. As newer designs and changing preferences reshape the rakhi market, Sunitha is open to experimenting, but manpower remains a limitation. “If I have manpower, I would definitely work on new designs, but I cannot do everything, so I stick to the traditional ones,” she concludes. For her, continuing with these traditional rakhis is not merely a business but also a way of carrying forward a skill and legacy passed down by her mother.