Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A grand 40x40-inch handmade rakhi celebrating Sanatan Dharma and 150 years of Vande Mataram will be offered to Lord Ganesh at Indore’s famous Khajrana Ganesh Temple this Raksha Bandhan.
Indore’s Palrecha family has been creating such special rakhis for Lord Khajrana Ganesh and following this tradition for the past 23 years.
This will be the 24th consecutive year in which the family will offer a specially designed rakhi to the deity.
Rakhi carries national and religious messages
This year’s rakhi is shaped like a large lotus and focuses on national pride and Sanatan culture.
It features an image of Maa Vagdevi and highlights the demand to bring her historic idol, currently kept in a London museum, back to Bhojshala in Dhar.
The design also includes representations of Baba Mahakal, Lord Jagannath, Maa Mahakali and Maa Mahalakshmi.
Baba Mahakal represents the upcoming Simhastha and the grandeur of Mahakal Lok, while Lord Jagannath symbolises faith and cultural unity.
Maa Mahakali and Maa Mahalakshmi represent strength, prosperity and well-being.
Handmade over 2.5 months
Special decorative materials were sourced from Kolkata, Jaipur, Mumbai and Surat. Pearls, zardozi embroidery, foam, cardboard, salma-sitara, lace, semi-precious stones and gota patti were used to make the rakhi.
Members of the Matushri Palrecha family, including Shantu Pundarik Palrecha, Dheeraj, Jayesh and Mitesh, worked for nearly two-and-a-half months on the design. The family has made 10 such handmade rakhis this year.
Tradition enters its 24th year
Over the years, the family has created rakhis based on national, religious and social themes such as Samudra Manthan, the 12 Jyotirlingas, Beti Bachao, Gangajal and Navagraha.
The family also received recognition from the Limca Book of Records two years ago for its rakhi. It claims that no one else makes a rakhi of this size.
Through the annual tradition, the family aims to show how Indian festivals can promote religious faith, national pride and cultural awareness.
