Indore (Madhya Pradesh): As the festival of Raksha Bandhan approaches, the city’s markets are buzzing with a vibrant, festive energy, ready to celebrate the special bond between brothers and sisters. The streets are adorned with a dazzling variety of rakhis in different colours, shapes and varieties ranging from traditional to trendy.
The women and sisters across the city flock to purchase the perfect rakhi to adorn their brothers' wrists. The festive spirit has started to brighten the markets of the city with just two days remaining for the Raksha Bandhan festival. People from nearby districts and other states are flocking to the wholesale market in Ranipura to purchase rakhis.
This year rakhis made of rudraksha, light-weighted bracelet rakhi and pearl rakhi are in high demand, crafted from Kolkata and Gujarat. In the Sarafa Bazaar, the demand for lightweight and new varieties of rakhis has surged. A new trend has emerged for rakhis embellished with gold beads.

Rakhis made of 92.5% pure silver and 91.6% pure gold have gained popularity among customers, with prices ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 100,000. People are also preferring customised rakhis offering unique designs to suit individual preferences.
According to trader Anil Ranka, customers' preferences have evolved over the past few years, with even regular shoppers opting for custom-made rakhis. People have customised rakhis in the form of chains, watches, bracelets and couple rakhis.
Shoppers from nearby villages are visiting areas like Ranipura, Ada Bazaar, Bakshi Gali, Rajwada, Malwa Mill, Patnipura and other localities for their purchases. There are around 200 large wholesale shops in Ranipura and Rajwada where a large number of people have been seen engrossed in purchasing rakhis for the last one week.