Digital Rakhi Festivities: Maintaining Brother-Sister Ties in the Digital Realm
In the midst of the pandemic, families have found innovative ways to celebrate Raksha Bandhan, a traditional Hindu festival that honours the bond between siblings. Known as Virtual Rakhi celebrations, these digital gatherings have become a beacon of emotional connection and cultural continuity despite physical distancing.
Families have embraced technology to create memorable experiences. They put together shared playlists of songs, take screenshots, and coordinate traditional outfits for the virtual celebrations. Brothers make or get the sweets of their choice, while sisters send rakhis by mail in advance for the online version of the ceremony.
The video call for the virtual Rakhi celebration takes place at a designated time, often accommodating everyone's schedules across different time zones. This coordination allows families scattered across continents to share the virtual Rakhi celebration moment.
During these virtual gatherings, families often have longer and more meaningful conversations than during in-person gatherings. Siblings report having deeper conversations about their lives, challenges, and dreams. The rakhi ceremony serves as a natural starting point for these meaningful connections.
The virtual Rakhi celebrations have also demonstrated cultural flexibility. Use of digital platforms enables traditional rituals such as tying the rakhi to be symbolically observed by using video calls or sending rakhis through courier services.
However, these virtual celebrations have introduced some risks, such as an increase in scams and phishing targeting festival shoppers. The pandemic surge in online Rakhi shopping has led to a rise in cybercrime.
Despite these challenges, virtual Rakhi celebrations have served as a practical and emotional bridge. They have allowed families to celebrate safely while encouraging digital adoption of cultural traditions. This has helped sustain the festival’s significance and familial bonds in unprecedented times.
Online gift platforms have reported massive spikes in cross-border deliveries during the Rakhi season, and WhatsApp groups are used for festival planning, while Zoom and Google Meet are used for religious ceremonies.
The feeling of home is not a place where you go back, but the promise you make and the thread that connects hearts even if the world tries to separate them by any distance. The virtual Rakhi celebrations embody this promise, providing a tangible thread that connects hearts, even in the face of physical separation.
References:
- Cybersecurity concerns rise with surge in online Rakhi shopping
- Virtual Raksha Bandhan: How technology is bridging the gap between siblings
- Online Rakhi stores offer 'virtual celebration packages'
- Raksha Bandhan: How the pandemic has changed the way we celebrate
- Raksha Bandhan: The festival of bonds
- Families utilize technology to maintain family-dynamics and create a sense of family-togetherness during Virtual Raksha Bandhan celebrations, with efforts that span from shared home-and-garden decorations to coordinating traditional outfits. [Virtual Raksha Bandhan: How technology is bridging the gap between siblings]
- In addition to the emotional connection provided by these virtual celebrations, they also serve as opportunities for business, with online gift platforms experiencing increases in cross-border deliveries during the Rakhi season. [Online Rakhi stores offer 'virtual celebration packages']
- The virtual Raksha Bandhan celebrations have reinforced the festival's role in nurturing relationships, as they provide a digital conduit for siblings to discuss personal matters, reflecting on their lives, challenges, and dreams. [Raksha Bandhan: How the pandemic has changed the way we celebrate]
