Modi Rakhis selling like hotcakes in Patna

Shopkeepers in the Bihar capital say that the bracelets made of interwoven red and white threads and adorned with pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi are selling like hotcakes ahead of the festival later this week.

As Rakhis fly off the shelves this Rakshabandhan season, one particular variety is selling the most in the capital of poll-bound Bihar.

A Muslim artisan displays a "Rakhi" or traditional Indian sacred thread, featuring India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi after giving it the finishing touches inside a workshop in Ahmedabad. During Raksha Bandhan, a sister ties a Rakhi on her brother's wrist to ask him for her protection. (Reuters Photo/Amit Dave)

Shopkeepers in the Bihar capital say that the bracelets made of interwoven red and white threads and adorned with pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi are selling like hotcakes ahead of the festival later this week. They say the first lot of Modi-Rakhis went out of stock within a week and had to be replenished. Given the demand, they are also comparatively costlier.

“I brought Rakhis with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pictures with adults in mind besides ones bearing pictures of cartoon superhero Chhota Bheem, angry birds, and others, mainly to attract kids,” points out Pramod Kumar Sinha, a wholesaler of Rakhis.

“Modi-Rakhis are new to Patna markets. Chhota Bheem, Angry Birds and other Rakhis are still available in the market but Modi-Rakhi’s have been sold out within a week of its arrival from Kolkata. They are priced at Rs 200 per dozen,” he added.

With business so good, Goldy Kumar, another shopkeeper, is ecstatic. “Modi-Rakhis have been flying off the shops. I had never thought I could sell so many within such a short time.”