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For the bonds that last and last

With Friendship Day and Raksha Bandhan round the corner, see what the market has on offer for these special days

It is indeed a long list - the list of days that are supposedly important and therefore meant to be celebrated. It is difficult to keep track of them - that is if one at all needs to. We have Valentine's Day, the good old Teachers' Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Grandfather's Day, Grandmother's Day, Women's Day... .! And now we have this Friendship Day on us. And close on the heels of Friendship Day, we have the venerable Rakhi. Which only means this coming week the mithaiwalas, the rakhi-sellers and their friends will all be ready to pounce on the opportunity to `tie their bonds of friendship' with their customers.

What have they to offer anyway? Plenty. NAO, the world's best-known Spanish porcelain brand has introduced `Little Heart of Love', an irresistible hand made porcelain figure for the Friendship Day. This `angel of heart' will surely make your friend feel special and loved. The figurine has an angel holding a heart in hand. And the price a cool Rs.3355. Fropper.Com celebrates Friendship Day and welcomes everyone to join in the fun and frolic with just one click. You can post a message for your friend, buy him or her presents like flowers, bands, chocolates and cakes, etc. Terming it as the year's "most awaited day", Ferns `N' Petals at FNP Gardens, Mandi Road, Sultanpur, New Delhi, has come out with exquisite fresh flower arrangements and artificial arrangements with dazzling crystals, beads, lucky bamboos, dries and imported artificial flowers, priced Rs.299 onwards. It also has fresh flower wrist friendship bonds made out of stunning swarovski crystals and beads, etc.

NOVELTY IS THE NAME OF THE GAME While rakhis have got a new look (left), Spanish porcelain brand, NAO has introduced `Little Heart of Love' for the Friendship Day

Rakhi specials

Amrapali, the design and jewellery studio at Khan Market, has introduced a special range of silver rakhis, designed beautifully, combining the soul-feel of traditional craft with the straight line of simplicity of modern day designs. The rakhis come in attractive hues and designs. Jewellery designer Punita Trrikha has launched an exclusive line of jewellery for this Rakhi. The collection, light, earthy and refreshing, comes in exquisite designs crafted in a wide range of swarovski crystals, glass and beads that combine to give the magical effect of light, colour and richness. Prices range from Rs.500 to 20000. D'damas presents the first-ever rakhi that can also be worn as a pendant. Elegantly crafted with a diamond or a semi-precious stone centrepiece it is more than a rakhi. So you can `immortalise' this Rakshabandhan with the D'damas Rakhi ensemble.

There are a surfeit of gift ideas from Bvlgari which has leather bracelets, charm bracelets, phone straps, key strap and lots of other items, all at its boutique at The Oberoi. The popular luxury brand Aigner urges you to strengthen the bond of love this year with the expression of the lucky horseshoe charm. Its attractive gift set box in fine finished wood, though, comes for a hefty Rs.23500 and its diamond studded watch for women is priced at a whopping Rs.84000! And for those with modest means the local bazaars in their colony have plenty of rakhi threads to offer. Ranging from Rs.2 to 20, you can get a colourful and sparkling rakhi. There is even a collection of footwear for Rakhi this year from Egle, a leading European footwear brand. The range has sandals with distinct styles and designs to create an "ethnic look within you". MCC group has come out with DVD Players - Turbo Pix, offering a unique way of capturing the golden moments of Rakhi on one's TV. One has just to insert the memory card of one's digital camera/camcorder in the in-built memory card slot and create a full-fledged presentation/collage of still images. Carbon Accessories, a leading fashion accessories brand, is hosting a special promotion at all its outlets for the Rakhi festival. You can choose from a range of over 45 elegant jewellery items. Furncraft at 125, Shahpurjat offers stylish white ceramic pieces, tall lampshades that will throw a "protective light around your sister!" Meanwhile, I.K. Silver at 2, Karbala Lane, Jorbagh, offers silver gifts in the form of silver kettle, sugar bowl and silver trays. Likewise leading shops like The Next Shop, Funcraft, Osho World Galleria, A&T, House of Ishatvam and Maspar, etc., have also lined up their array of Rakhi gifts.

And there are plenty of gift hampers to be had in the market. Coco group, the pioneer in the dry fruits, has launched its special range of juicy and healthy gift hampers, which include cholesterol-free Coco roasted `n' salted dry fruits and Coco fruit drink, a pack of five with the flavours of mango, orange, pineapple and litchi. Rameshwar's, the famous mithai chain store, has also come up with its annual Rakhi bonanza for its customers.

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