28/08/2026
Happy Raksha Bandhan. Please celebrate responsibly. Terms & Conditions apply.
Somewhere along the way, Indian festivals stopped being festivals and became full-blown national discussion forums. This Raksha Bandhan, we have successfully debated:
Whether a blouse is festive enough.
Whether a dog can qualify as family.
Whether an advertisement sufficiently respects civilisation.
Whether a brand should apologise.
Whether the apology was necessary.
And, naturally, whether everyone commenting on all of the above is sufficiently Indian.
Poor Rakhi. It probably just wanted to be tied around somebody’s wrist. But then, this is how we celebrate festivals in India now.
First comes the festival.
Then comes the campaign. Then comes social media. Then comes outrage.
Then comes counter-outrage. Then comes the celebrity opinion. Then comes the politician’s opinion. Then comes the brand statement.
And somewhere between Instagram, X, WhatsApp forwards and prime-time television, someone actually remembers to celebrate.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra added its own delightful plot twist: Mumbai’s government offices get a local holiday for Raksha Bandhan this Friday, with Rakhi effectively replacing Gopal Kala/Dahi Handi in this year’s holiday calendar.
Apparently even festivals now have to compete for market share.
India doesn’t merely celebrate festivals. We analyse them, advertise them, politicise them, monetise them, scrutinise them, take offence over them, defend them, and occasionally, in between all this, enjoy them.
Wouldn’t have it any other way!
Happy Raksha Bandhan folks! ❤️
P.S. Before anyone asks - yes, our office is closed today too. We believe in participating in the Indian festival economy, not merely commenting on it. 😎
