Decorated Rakhi Puja Thali adds an auspicious aura to customary Raksha Bandhan Puja ceremony. Puja Thali helps a sister to perform arti of his brother and pray for his long life. Besides, a thali decorated with love reflects a sister’s faith in the tradition and affection for her brother.

Contents of Rakhi Puja Thali
Rakhi Puja Thali is essentially a plate wherein all items necessary for performing puja are neatly arranged. Ideally, a Rakhi Puja Thali must have a diya or oil lamp for performing aarti along with roli and akshat to put tilak on brother’s forehead. Roli and akshat are kept in small katoris or in auspicious betel leaf. Some also like to keep sandalwood and incense stick in the thali. Rakhi is kept in pair or with moli/ Kalawa. A Rakhi Thali must also contain sweets for brother. Traditionally, ‘Swastika’ - an auspicious symbol of Lord Ganesha is drawn with a finger using roli in a Rakhi Thali.

Types of Rakhi Puja Thali
Rakhi Puja Thalis come in variety of materials and styles these days. Brass and Steel Thalis are relatively more popular than others because of their cost effectiveness. However, Silver Puja Thali is preferred when price is not a constraint. Rakhi Puja Thalis come in compact to large size. Some come inclusive of puja items and have fixed stands for lighting incense sticks and bowl for roli-chawal while others give consumers a flexibility to choose puja essentials. Thali with defined compartments to keep Puja things are also appreciated by many.

Online Shopping for Rakhi Puja Thali
Rakhi Puja Thali is emerging as a popular gift option for siblings on the occasion of Rakhi. As Rakhi Thali can easily be used for worship of deities on other festivals, these can be gifted to both brothers and sisters. Today, one can browse through a huge variety of Puja Thalis on various Rakhi shopping sites. Online shopping for Puja Thalis is preferred as one can shop from the comforts of home at the click of a mouse. Besides, many shopping sites provide the facility to deliver gifts anywhere in the world.

Tips to Make Your Own Rakhi Puja Thali
Rakhi Puja Thali can easily be prepared at home with little inspiration and some imagination. The Thali will surely turn out to be beautiful if the driving force is love for the sibling. Here are some interesting and creative ideas to make your own Rakhi Puja Thali. Get inspired and enhance them with your own creative mind.

• Rakhi Thali can be decorated with gota or red bandhani cloth. But protect it from lighted incense stick and diya.
• A banana leaf can be placed on an ordinary thali to give it a traditional and festive look. Puja items can be placed on the leaf.
• Fresh flowers or its petals can be strewn in a thali or placed on thali border to give it a fresh and innovative look.
• You can also use paint to decorate Rakhi Puja Thali. Geometric pattern or flowers can be painted to give a bright look to the thali.
• To lure kids, one may use toffees and chocolates to make compartment in a Puja Thali.