Rakhi gifting has moved well beyond the obligatory box of sweets, a wallet or a last-minute Amazon scroll. If you’re still figuring out what to send your sibling this year, there are plenty of smaller brands making things that work just as well for a sibling gift, especially if you know their tastes.
From contemporary Indian clothing and handmade crochet to conversation cards and jars of snacks, here are four ideas to keep in mind this Raksha Bandhan.
Manuhaar
Manuhaar takes cues from Jaipur and Rajasthan’s traditional prints and motifs, translating them into contemporary shirts, kurtas and other easy-to-wear pieces.
The range is primarily made up of printed half- and full-sleeve shirts, short and long kurtas, alongside a women’s kurti section. The aesthetic sits somewhere between casual Indian, resort wear and contemporary ethnic, rather than traditional festivewear.
The collection is colourful without leaning too heavily into conventional ethnicwear, making it a good pick for a sibling who likes Indian-inspired clothing but prefers a more relaxed wardrobe. A printed shirt or short kurta can work just as well for a holiday as it can for a casual day out.
As a special Rakhi offer, Manuhaar is also giving customers a free rakhi and fridge magnet with every purchase across the site, with no minimum order.
Knotify
There’s something nice about giving a handmade gift, particularly when you can choose it around the person you’re gifting. Indore-based Knotify creates crochet pieces and personalised gifts, including Miffy figurines, flower bouquets, keychains, coasters, mini Batman, Spider-Man and Winnie the Pooh figures, handbags and personalised book covers.
If your sibling has a favourite character, colour, flower or generally a soft spot for cute things, Knotify has plenty to work with. The crochet bouquets are especially charming for Rakhi if you want something that feels personal without being overly sentimental.
You can choose the flowers, colours and size, and put together a combination that suits your sibling.
Kind Hearts Brigade
Some of the best sibling gifts aren’t things at all. Ignite Kind Connections, from a Mumbai-based small business Kind Hearts Brigade, is a 35-card conversation game built around questions and prompts that get people talking, laughing and, occasionally, revealing things beyond word, food and who is going to order dinner.
It is a particularly good pick for siblings who have grown up but still somehow manage to communicate primarily through memes and “have you reached?” texts. The idea is simple: pick a card, answer it and see where the conversation goes.
For something more introspective, the same range also includes Kind Within, a small journaling kit built around reflective prompts, , a mandala sheet and a keepsake box. That one makes more sense for the sibling who would rather write and express than play.
Library of Nuts
A jar of something good to eat is difficult to get wrong, particularly if your sibling already has a designated snack drawer. Home-grown brand Library of Nuts offers an assortment of handcrafted nut, seed, fruit and digestive mixes.
Almond Delight, with roasted almonds, dates, coconut flakes and saunf, is one of the more classic choices, while Pista Picnic brings together pistachios, pumpkin seeds, saunf and curry leaves. Their gift boxes can also be put together with multiple jars, making them an easy option when you want something that feels a little more substantial than a single sweet box.
Still looking for a last-minute Rakhi gift?
If you’re buying your Rakhi gift at the eleventh hour, don’t overthink it. Pick something that reminds you of the person you’re buying for. That usually makes for a better present than anything labelled “perfect for siblings.”
A favourite snack, a handmade keepsake or something you can use together will almost always beat a generic gift chosen in a hurry. Happy Raksha Bandhan!
Know a sibling who would love one of these? Share this guide with them, or save it for your next last-minute gifting panic.
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(Images: Courtesy of respective brands)
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