Vrindavan widows make 1,100 rakhis for PM Modi

A group of widows in Vrindavan has crafted 1,100 rakhis for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to mark Raksha Bandhan on August 28. The rakhis, featuring photographs of the prime minister, were made by widows living in various ashrams in the town.

According to Nitya Pathak, executive convenor of Sulabh International, the widows gathered at the historic Gopinath temple on Sunday, defying age-old restrictions, and danced to Krishna bhajans. Pathak said the women had spent days handcrafting the threads. A group of five widows will visit the prime minister's residence to tie the rakhis.

Sulabh International, which has looked after about 1,500 widows in Vrindavan and Varanasi since a 2012 Supreme Court order, said the women consider Modi their brother and send him rakhis and sweets every year. The widows in Vrindavan have historically been subjected to harsh treatment and barred from celebrating festivals.