Last week across India, people of the Hindu faith celebrated Raksha Bandhan — a joyful and deeply meaningful festival honouring the bond between brothers and sisters. Raksha Bandhan means ‘safety promise.’ On this day, sisters tie a colourful thread, called a rakhi, on their brothers’ wrists as a symbol that their brother will protect them in every circumstance and not let harm come their way. Brothers, in turn, often give gifts to their sisters as a gesture of love and appreciation. If separated by distance, sisters will send their rakhis by mail, a tradition that continues no matter where life takes them.
This festival is more than a ritual. It is a heartfelt reminder of the unbreakable love between siblings — a love that protects, nurtures, and endures.
At our Project Help India centres, we embraced this celebration with our own students. Children learned about the tradition and then created their own “safety promise” bands by hand. They tied them to their siblings or friends, making heartfelt promises to look out for and care for one another. The classrooms were filled with joy, laughter, and an unmistakable sense of love and family bonding. It was a very special day.
For me, this experience was a powerful reminder that, when we choose to be open, we can learn so much from faiths and cultures different to our own. These moments can deepen our respect and empathy for one another as we share this world together.
The lesson of Raksha Bandhan is simple yet profound: love protects, promises matter, and family, in whatever form it takes, is worth cherishing and defending. Let us take what we have learned from this beautiful tradition and use it as an opportunity to reach out to our own brothers and sisters. May we choose to resolve conflict, heal old wounds, live in gratitude and remember the importance of family and the bonds that keep us together.
The smiles on the children's faces demonstrate their pride and happiness in having this opportunity to celebrate their brothers and sisters. At Project Help India, we think it's beautiful!
