by Brother Jittin Mathew
MUMBAI, SEP 3, 2018: Thirty-three volunteers from U&I Teach, an NGO dealing with after-school programmes aimed to educate the lesser privileged youth, visited Bosco Boys Home (BBH), Borivli to celebrate Rakshabandhan with the boys of the Home on August 26.
Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi is a Hindu festival centered around the tying of a thread or ornamental bracelet on the right wrist, as a form of bond and ritual protection between brother and sister.
With the sound of instrumental music and a prayerful atmosphere, the volunteers applied a tilak to the forehead of the boys and tied Rakhis to their wrists. After the ceremony, the volunteers took a session for the boys in which they explained the importance of Raksha Bandhan via a video presentation.
They chose to come to BBH to celebrate the festival as they provide tuition classes for the boys every Sunday. "This thread, representing love and sublime sentiments is called Raksha Bandhan which means a bond of protection," Divij Shah, a volunteer, said.
"My sister stays in Kalyan and has not come but I am happy that these volunteers have come. I can feel the love of my sister in them, and I want to say to them that I am always there for you and praying for you," Sevak Pendekar, a boy, added.
The Rector of the BBH, Father Corlis Gonsalves highlighted the importance of respect between siblings, saying, "Tying Rakhi is a wonderful way of expressing warmth, and is a celebration of the chaste bond of love amongst siblings."