Mathura (UP), Aug 17 (PTI) A group of widows in Vrindavan have crafted 1,100 rakhis for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be presented to him on Raksha Bandhan this year.
The rakhis feature colourful photographs of the prime minister and have been designed and made by widows living in various ashrams in Vrindavan, according to Nitya Pathak, Executive Convenor of Sulabh International.
“The widows joined the Raksha Bandhan celebration at the historical Gopinath temple in Vrindavan on Sunday, defying age-old restrictions set by the society. Rakhis were decorated and packed for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They also danced to Krishna bhajans,” Pathak said in a statement late on Sunday.
Pathak added that the women spent several days handcrafting the colourful decorative threads. Since they consider Modi as their brother, they send him sweets and rakhis every year.
A group of five mothers will visit the prime minister’s residence to tie the rakhis.
Raksha Bandhan is celebrated on August 28.
For many years, widows in Vrindavan have endured harsh treatment and have been forced to lead secluded and austere lives. They were often not accepted by society, and restrictions were placed on their ability to celebrate festivals, Pathak noted.
According to Sulabh International, nearly 6000 widows, mostly from Bengal, were found begging on the streets or lying on the staircases of the temples or maybe squatting in the dirty lanes, begging for food.
Apart from the various other atrocities, widows weren’t even allowed to participate in the celebrations during the festivals of Holi and Diwali.
In 2012, taking note of the terrible condition of widows living in Vrindavan, the Supreme Court had asked Sulabh International to look after them.
The NGO has been taking care of 1,500 widows in Varanasi and Vrindavan following the Supreme Court’s observations. PTI COR NAV MPL MPL
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