Shops in Telangana's Hyderabad saw an increased footfall ahead of Raksha Bandhan on Sunday despite the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic, with one shopkeeper adding an interesting 'Corona rakhi' made of cow dung to the collection.
"Sales this year are low because of the pandemic so I tried to come up with something that might induce people to buy my rakhis. This year I am selling a 'Corona rakhi' made of cow dung. A few people have bought it and they seem to like it," Akash, a shop owner told .
He said that this year it was a tough decision to open his shop amid the pandemic because he was unsure about getting a return on his investment.
"I had to put all my faith in this haul of rakhis because I was not sure if they would sell or not. I don't want my investment to go waste as this occasion only comes once a year and I will have to wait a whole year to sell items if they don't sell today," he added.
According to Priyanka, a shopper who purchased three rakhis for her brothers told that this year, they would take COVID-19 precautions while celebrating.
"Only our immediate family will be celebrating Raksha Bandha this year. We are going to maintain social distancing and stise our hands at frequent intervals. We are also going to be extra careful about the food we eat," she said.
Rakshan Bandhan is being celebrated on August 3 this year.
( With inputs from ANI )