UP Woman’s Eco-Friendly ‘Gobar Rakhis’ Maybe Perfect For Your Bro This Rakshabandhan!

Plastic pollution is no doubt, a threat to mankind! Humans are actively looking for ways to cut down the use of plastic which has become a part and parcel of our lives. From banning single-use plastic bags to cleaning beaches, people have taken their best foot forward to get rid of plastic pollution.

Various eco-friendly products are replacing the non-biodegradable plastic products in the market. The latest one to join the league is eco-friendly Rakhi!

Shree Krishna Gaushala in Bijnor has introduced a rakhi made out of cow dung in the market! Yes, you read that right! A 52-year-old NRI, Alkha Lahoti, who decided to return back to India from Indonesia to join her father’s gaushala. She came up with this innovative idea.

“I am associated with Juna Akhara and had gone to Kumbh event this year and displayed my rakhis. There, our product was well received. The saints there asked me to make such type of rakhis for public. Then, I contacted other experts and discussed the matter with them. So far, I have received orders from Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Uttrakhand and Orissa. I have prepared thousands of rakhis for the upcoming festival,” Alkha Lahoti told Times Of India.

Alkha’s cowshed has more than 117 cows. Apart from the rakhis, the cowshed churns out various products like cow dung slabs for cremation, flower-pots, and disinfectant (phenyl) made from cow dung and gau-mutra.

She also spoke about the problems she faced while making eco-friendly products. “Initially, the rakhis we made out of cow dung got damaged easily. But, as we continued with our experiment, we were finally able to come up with strong and hard rakhis. We were able to achieve the consistency by storing the rakhis at a dark and cool place, outside the reach of sunlight,” she said.

Alkha also described the process of manufacturing and said, “First, we prepare a template of different shapes and sizes, and then we put the raw cow dung into these templates and store it in a cool and dark place. Once it becomes dry, we then decorate it with eco-friendly colors and use threads instead of plastic ones. Contrary to the Chinese rakhis, our rakhis are eco-friendly. They can be decomposed and turned into manure after their use.”

Alkha also said the rakhis are economical and if not sold out they will be distributed for free. Maybe your search for an out-of-the-box Rakhi for your beloved brother, ahead of Rakshabandhan, ends here!

Cover Image Source: Right, Left