Cuttack: The coronavirus-induced lockdowns and shutdowns have doomed the prospects of ‘Rakhi’ business in the Silver city. However, it has failed to dampen the spirit of Ishwar Sahu whose ‘Covid Rakhi’ is selling like hotcakes online.
Ishwar, a graphic designer of Thatari Sahi at Chauliaganj, earns his living by making posters of cinemas, television serials and advertisements.
However, the lockdown has hit his livelihood hard. He tried to do something new and first prepared 3-D masks which bear the exact picture of the face of the user.
His new Rakhi packages are selling like hotcakes as he has been getting orders from various parts of the state as well as from neighbouring Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Delhi and Bangalore.
He makes home delivery of the orders he receives in the town without any extra charges. Till now, he has sold over 500 pieces of Covid Rakhis, he said. He is helped by his two deft hands Mukesh Mallick and Seshdev Sahu.
Social media platforms are flooded with the messages of indigenously made Rakhis and endearing hampers with adorable messages leaving the buyers spoilt for choices. And Ishwar too has joined the bandwagon with his innovative “Covid-Rakhi Kit”. The Rakhi made by Ishwar is giving messages on coronavirus pandemic and has all the ingredients to strengthen the brother-sister bond. The Rakhi made by him consists of seven special materials.
The kits made of small wooden boxes come in three variants, he said. “The first variety comprises of a wooden Rakhi dial printed with the photos of brothers and sisters. It costs Rs 60. The second variety comes along with a 3D-printed mask which sells for Rs 90” Ishwar said.
But it is the third variety that is the most popular. It comprise of a Rakhi having the pictures of brother and sisters, two-layered 3D-printed mask, a hand-sanitiser, a chocolate, a key-ring with a QR code generating a sweet Raksha Bandhan message and two vials of rice and sindoor. “The new designer Rakhi costs around Rs 270,” he added.
Asked about his foray into online Rakhi business, Ishwar said that his graphics and photography business was closed in the wake of the pandemic. He then thought of selling masks and Rakhis online to make ends meet.
“With my knowledge of graphics, I began selling 3D-printed masks first and with Raksha Bandhan approaching, I thought of printing graphics on wood and sell them as Rakhis ,” he said.