Rs 1.5 lakh rakhi to show sisterly love

LUDHIANA: What can prove the measure of love for one's brother on Raksha Bandhan? Move over stylish strings, girls in the city are willing to shell out anything between Rs 15,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh for gold and diamond-studded rakhis to show love for their brothers because "he is just so special."
Caring two hoots about rising prices and inflation, they argue that "money does not matter in relationships." Pallavi Mahajan, a resident of Model Town, is busy visiting different jewellers in the city and going through the different bracelets they have on display. "My brother Karan is very special to me so I want to give him something special. Money is no consideration for such close relationships...all I want is something that is trendy yet chic and will express my love," she said.
Model House-resident Rajni Mehra has already bought a gold bracelet for her younger brother Rajiv. "I have always tried to get the best I can for my brother. Earlier, I used to buy designer rakhis from gift shops but now I also earn so I thought of buying something unique for my 'bhai'," said Rajni. Jewellers in the city are only too happy with the latest swing in tradition since many women have been thronging to check out what they have got and they don't cringe before handing over the big bucks.
Radhey Sham, a jeweller in Civil Lines, said more than 10 customers have been visiting the shop every day to buy bracelets for their brothers. "The range of gold and diamond-studded bracelets starts from Rs 15,000 and goes up to Rs 1.5 lakh. Inflation has not affected the purchasing power of people. We are in fact hoping to get more customers this week since people are on the lookout for high-end rakhis for their brothers," he said. Another jeweller at Civil Lines Breejesh Kumar said, "Many people have been buying gold and diamond bracelets as rakhis. It is a trend that has caught up a lot this year since people want to spend on meaningful things."