If you’re still tying the same old golden-thread rakhi with a “Swastik” motif, you’re missing out on the rakhi renaissance. This Raksha Bandhan on August 9, watch the humble thread turn into a full-blown personality test. Let’s start with the cool kids. For younger siblings, or grown-ups with a sense of humour, Flower Aura’s lineup (floweraura.com) includes Spiderman, Iron Man, Hello Kitty, and even a cheeky Burger & Fries rakhi. If you want to go whackier, then they’ve got Rubik’s Cube and Astronaut-themed ones too.

Hand-painted seed rakhis, only one of the quirky ways to renew the fraternal bond. Pic/zwende.com

On the sustainable side, Nat Habit (nathabit.in) is offering biodegradable cloth rakhis made from cotton scraps, complete with a little roli–chawal pouch. Tamarind Chutney’s collection (tamarindchutney.in) is just as planet-friendly with its soft, upcycled fabric strips in earthy tones. Over at iTokri (itokri.com), you can even pick up plantable seed rakhis. Yes, you heard that right! Plant the rakhi and watch a tulsi grow.