India, Aug. 23 -- Before the era of glittering stones and customised trinkets crowded store shelves, a plain cotton string carried a heavy, lifelong promise. The festival of Raksha Bandhan originally centred entirely on the modest Kalava or Mauli. Spun from raw cotton, this red and yellow thread held prayers instead of price tags. Sisters tied these fragile strands to seal vows of protection rooted deeply in ancient epics and quiet rural folklore. When the fun 1990s arrived that simple string suddenly turned into a burst of color. Local markets became messy fairs. Vendors tucked themselves behind heaps of marigolds, stringing up thick, squishy velvet circles. Suddenly, every rakhi had to have fake pearls, loud zari borders, and little gol...