Rakshabandhan : Haryana women tie rakhis to plants

New Delhi, Aug 9 (UNI) Rakshabandhan, the festival signifying the eternal ties of love and affection between sisters and their brothers, was celebrated with fervour and enthusiasm in many parts of the country today with the women in Haryana tying rakhis to plants with a pledge to take care of their growth.

Women tied colourful rakhis to the wrists of their brothers, binding them in an inseparable bond of affection and love, who in turn made a traditional pledge to protect them from evil. At some places, the women demonstrated secularism by tying rakhis to the members of other communities. Huge crowds were witnessed at card and gift shops. People also visited temples to offer special prayers.

In the national capital, children from various schools and organisations tied rakhis to President A P J Abdul Kalam, Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the occasion.

The Prime Minister expressed the hope that the message of rakhshabandhan would spread to every nook and corner of the country.

Children from various areas in Delhi as well as the National capital region visited the Rashtrapati Bhawan and tied rakhis to the wrist of President A P J Abdul Kalam.

In Haryana, women members of forest committee and self-help groups celebrated the festival as ''Paryavaran Bandhan Day'' by tying rakhis to plants in 16 villages of Panipat district and took pledge to take care of their growth, an official spokesman said.

Dressed in their colourful attire and singing traditional folk songs, the women even went out of the periphery of the villages to tie rakhis to plants. Officials of the State Forest Department distributed sweets as a gesture of goodwill on the occasion.

Haryana Roadways buses plied to their full capacity following the decision of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda to provide free travel facility in state roadways buses to all women besides children up to 15 years of age on the occasion.

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