Aipan Rakhi
With the onset of festivals, what better way than celebrating the function of love between brother and sister, siblings and friends known as Rakhshabandhan(Rakhi). Celebrated on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Shravan, this festival celebrates the love of siblings. On this day, sisters tie Rakhi on the wrist of their brothers to protect them against evil influences and pray for their long life and happiness. Brothers, in turn, give a gift that promises that they will protect their siblings from any harm. Within these Rakhis reside sacred feelings and well wishes. This festival also has a historical reference to lord Krishna protecting Queen Draupadi from Kauravas from Dwapara yuga.
We decided to make these colorful Rakhis using traditional Uttrakhand art known as AIPAN. Aipan is a ritualistic folk art design drawn from Red and White, native to the Kumaon region of Uttrakhand, India. It is drawn to celebrate auspicious occasions and festivals.
A glimpse of the colorful Rakhis, the kids made in the workshop.
Our artist Miss Diksha who hails from Uttrakhand of India, is an expert in various art forms like Aipan, Lipan, and others native to Uttrakhand. Diksha, along with Jyothisha, conducted an hour of the workshop for the kids on 25-Jul-21 to teach them how to make a simple yet beautiful Rakhis tie it to their siblings. The joy of creating your own Rakhi for a festival is immense, and the kids surprised us with their creativity and enthusiasm.
We will be conducting similar workshops to educate on the lesser-known art forms worldwide and make it a fun learning experience.