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Vrindavan: Continuing a deeply emotional tradition that blends devotion, dignity, and social change, a group of elderly widows from Vrindavan will travel to New Delhi this Raksha Bandhan to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and present him with 1001 specially handcrafted Rakhis and sweets.

These unique Rakhis have been lovingly prepared by widows residing in Maa Sharda and other ashrams supported by Sulabh International as part of its Widows Welfare Programme.

Each Rakhi is adorned with vibrant images of Lord Ram, Lord Krishna, and the Prime Minister himself — reflecting a spiritual connection and personal affection.

 

The women from these ashrams have been tying Rakhi on the Prime Minster for the last several years.

Speaking about the initiative, Kumar Dilip, President of Sulabh International, said here on Thursday that, “Four of our mothers will go to Delhi to personally present the Rakhis and sweets to the Hon’ble Prime Minister. This marks another year in the heartwarming journey that Sulabh has nurtured, where our widowed mothers celebrate Raksha Bandhan with dignity and joy.”

Over the past fortnight, a Rakhi-making workshop was held at Maa Sharda Ashram, where around a dozen widows worked enthusiastically to design and decorate the Rakhis. Today, hundreds of widows gathered at the historic Gopinath Temple in Vrindavan to offer their blessings and complete the final preparations. The event was graced by Mr. Kumar Dilip and Mrs. Nitya Pathak, reaffirming Sulabh’s commitment to the social and emotional empowerment of widows.

This initiative was started by the late Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, the founder of the Sulabh Movement, who aimed to end the social exclusion of widows by including them in all major Hindu rituals — from Holi to Diwali to Raksha Bandhan.

Among the group is nearly 70 plus year old Chabi Sharma and three others are very excited to go PM’s residence. Another widow 81 year old Manu ghosh who has previously tied Rakhi on the Prime Minister’s wrist Says,”Even though I may not travel this year, I feel so happy and excited making Rakhis for Modi Ji. All these Rakhis are filled with our love for Sri Modi Bhaiya,” she shared with a smile.

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