Vrindavan widows send 251 handmade rakhis to PM Modi

Ahead of Rakshabandhan, widows of Vrindavan on Friday sent rakhis to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as they missed an in-person meeting with him for a second year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

A total of 251 rakhis that were prepared by a group of old-aged widows living in the temple town of western Uttar Pradesh have been sent to the prime minister, an NGO supporting them said.

The rakhis have colourful pictures of the prime minister and many of them have messages of caution against the pandemic and Modi's call for 'Atmanirbhar Bharat', the Sulabh Hope Foundation said.

Some of the widows have even prepared cotton face masks to be presented to him on Sunday, the day of the festival symbolising a bond between a brother and a sister.

Usha Dasi, 77, who had personally tied rakhi to the prime minister said she has been spending her days inside the ashram for the last five months but is happy that her rakhis and masks have been sent to Modi.

"I have personally designed special masks carrying messages like 'Stay safe' and 'Aatmnirbhar' and rakhis having Modi ji's picture with a covered face," the septuagenarian said.

Foundation's vice president Vinita Verma recalled that during the pre-Covid era, on behalf of thousands of widows, four-five mother widows would visit Delhi to present baskets of rakhis and sweets to Modi.

"The ongoing pandemic has disheartened them but it didn't shatter their spirit so they started preparing rakhis and special Vrindavan-themed masks for Modi," Verma said.