India celebrates Raksha Bandhan, 103-year old woman ties rakhi to PM

Woman ties Rakhi on her brothers wrist during celebrations of Raksha Bandhan Pic AFPSchoolchildren tied rakhis on wrists of President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Raksha Bandhan as the festival marking affection between brothers and sisters was celebrated across the country with traditional enthusiasm and gaietyWomen and children from various segments of society visited Modi at his residence and tied rakhis on his wrist Among them were Sharbati Devi a 103yearold widow who lost her brother about 50 years ago and Pakistaniorigin Qamar Mohsin Shaikh who has been tying rakhi to Modi for the past 23 yearsSharbati Devi had been missing her brother specially on Rakhi and her son wrote to Modi who invited the family to his residence on Raksha BandhanShaikh who has been living in India for the past 35 years travelled from Ahmedabad to tie the thread of sibling bonding on Modis wristI have been tying rakhi to Narendra Bhai for the last 23 years I am extremely excited to be able to do it this time too Shaikh who came to India from Pakistan after her marriage told a news channelShe got a call two days back from Modi and started preparing for Raksha BandhanShaikh said Modi spent a few seconds with each visitor who had come to greet him and tie rakhi but I was surprised and extremely happy that he spent more time with meSchoolchildren and members of the Koli community tied rakhis on the wrist of President Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan Children attired in colourful traditional outfits as also in school uniform greeted the President along with a delegation of 116 women and 27 men representing the Gujarat Koli SamajBollywood celebrities including Amitabh Bachchan Anupam Kher Manoj Bajpayee and Farah Khan wished their siblings and fans a year full of love and happiness on the occasionIn Delhi the occasion was observed with traditional fervour along with feasts and exchange of giftsDelhi Transport Corporation offered free rides to women from 8 am to 5 pm while Delhi Metro ran additional trains to meet the demand on the festival dayHeavy rains that lashed the city could not dampen the festive spirit and decked up shops could be seen selling rakhis henna bangles and sweetsDelhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal celebrated the festival with school girls and a group of Brahma Kumaris who tied rakhis on his wristIn Punjab women and girls from across the state dressed in traditional colourful attires converged at the Attari check post along the international border with Pakistan and tied rakhis to the Border Security Force officers and troopersIn Patna Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi on Monday tied rakhis to trees here and urged people to protect the states green coverClad in his usual white cotton kurtapyjama Nitish Kumar said It is a symbolism to protect trees to increase the green cover It is important for the environmentIn Hyderabad Telanganas Industry and Information Technology Minister KT Rama Rao received rakhi and a helmet as gift from his sister and Parliament member K KavithaKavitha MP and daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao through her social media campaigns Sisters4Change and GiftAHelmet had appealed to all sisters to gift a helmet on Rakhsha Bandhan for their brothers safetyVoicing concern over death of 400 people in twowheeler accidents every day across the country Kavitha said it was because the riders dont wear helmetsTruebil a verified virtual marketplace for preowned cars unveiled a new digital film SafetyKiRakhi The 307 minute long film highlights the importance of wearing a seat belt to the journey safe while also strengthening the brothersister bond