From Tagore's protest to Rs 25,000 crore trade: How Raksha Bandhan changed

29 August 2026 India

Raksha Bandhan began as a family ritual but was turned into a symbol of unity and communal harmony by Rabindranath Tagore in 1905.
Tagore encouraged people of different faiths to tie rakhis to each other while protesting the British partition of Bengal.
The festival has evolved into a Rs 25,000-crore commercial market, with rakhis sold in increasingly varied designs and forms.
Online platforms have expanded the market but also increased competition for traditional rakhi sellers.

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