Rakshabandhan was celebrated with great fanfare throughout India on Monday, with brothers and sister rejoicing the special day together.
Sharbati Devi, 103, tied rakhi to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence in New Delhi's Lok Kalyan Marg. A few months ago her son had written to the PM, informing about his mother's wish. Obliging his request, PM invited Devi to his home and celebrated the festival. A Pakistani-origin woman also tied rakhi to Modi. She has been tying rakhi to 'Narendra Bhai' for more than two decades now. The woman, who was married to a painter in India, felt lonely when she settled in Ahmedabad after marriage, and often missed her family. Qamar Mohsin Shaikh met PM Modi, a RSS karyakarta then, through her husband. After knowing him for quite some time, it was on the auspicious occasion of Raksha Bandhan, Shaikh approached 'Narendra Bhai' with a rakhi, and he readily put his hand forward. Since then she has been tying rakhi to her 'brother' for last 22-23 years.
Modi celebrated the festival with widows from Vrindavan who came to Delhi to tie rakhi on his wrist. The PM also met schoolchildren to celebrate Rakshabandhan.
Members of Gujarat's Koli community met and greeted President Ramnath Kovind and his wife on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan on Monday. President Kovind hails from the same community.
A delegation of 116 women and 27 men, representing the Koli Samaj in Gujarat, tied the traditional rakhi on the hands of both President Kovind and his wife, Savita Kovind. The Koli community refers to a section of people belonging to OBC, a huge chunk of which lives in Gujarat.
In Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu celebrated Raksha Bandhan with TDP women cadre.
Members of BJP's minority cell joined Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to celebrate Rakshabandhan.
In a symbolic gesture of extending gratitude to PM Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for their efforts towards ending the practice of triple talaq, Muslim women from Lucknow sent rakhis to the two leaders, wishing them to continue the good work they initiated.
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