BENGALURU: To ensure that the unrelenting march of COVID-19 in the state does not stand between you and your brother celebrating Raksha Bandhan on August 3, the Karnataka Postal Department has launched an online 'Rakhi Post'.
All you have to do is select an attractive Rakhi from numerous options available on its website, make an online payment of Rs 100 and key in the delivery address for it to reach its destination on or before the D-day. An option to send rakhis to the brave soldiers at Ladakh is also available.
The festival is a very busy time for postal employees forcing many to work 24x7 with nearly 1.45 lakh rakhis despatched last year from Bengaluru alone. This is the first time that the Karnataka Circle has taken the plunge into online sales of the sacred thread bracelet with Chief Postmaster General Sharada Sampath launching it on Saturday afternoon at the General Post Office.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Post Master General (PMG) Bengaluru Headquarter Region, Rajendra S Babu said, “We wanted to offer a safe method of shopping for anyone in Karnataka who wants to buy rakhis as well as despatch them in the face of the raging coronavirus all around. Hence, we decided to take it completely online.”
Presently, a total of 5,000 rakhis have been stocked at the Sorting Hub of the Bengaluru GPO. “The range of rakhis will be displayed online for selection and despatch by Speed Post. The cost works out to a flat Rs 100 from Karnataka to any destination in India,” Babu said.
To book your Rakhi, just go to this link: https://karnatakapost.gov.in/Rakhi_Post/
Bookings start at 6 pm on Saturday and are open till midnight on July 31. To send a rakhi to any soldier in Ladakh, the option 'Message to Soldier' can be used.