Rains fail to dampen Rakhi festivities in Delhi

NEW DELHI - Heavy downpour and waterlogged roads in the capital could not dampen the Raksha Bandhan festivities in the city Tuesday, with men proudly sporting on their wrists colourful strings tied by their sisters and women traversing long distances to visit their brothers.

The tradition celebrates the love between brothers and sisters and can be traced to Hindu mythology. A sister ties rakhi on the wrist of her brother, who promises to protect her, and both exchange sweets and presents.

Atish Aman, a resident of Lakshmi Nagar who braved heavy traffic to meet his sister, said: “I’ve taken a day off from my office only to spend a day with my sister. There aren’t better occasions to celebrate this love.”

Sights of colourful rakhis and sweets stacked up at shops were commonplace in the city. Red colour seemed to be the choice for attire of sisters, who were seen hurriedly making the last-minute preparations to meet their brothers.

Shailendra Dutt Sharma, a resident of Pandav Nagar who was on his way to his familial home in Agra, said: “I had applied for a leave three months ago. Staying away from my family, especially my sister, isn’t easy but today we’ll rejoice.”

Pooja Kalra of Rohini took a day off to enjoy with her brother and his family, “Both our families have finally managed to take the day off. We’ll watch a movie and have dinner together.”

But some could not beat distances or office work to meet their sisters or brothers for rakhi celebrations.

For Noida resident Ankita Varshney, Rakhsha Bandhan this year didn’t bring the same joy as before. “This year I’ve secured a job in Delhi. Because I couldn’t get a day off, I had to send the rakhi through courier. I wish I could be there with my brother. We’re missing each other a lot.”

Gurgaon resident Rohit Bhasin said: “I did not have an off at work. So, I met my sisters quite early in the morning before leaving for office.”

Sushil Kumar, resident of Punjabi Bagh, was anxiously counting the minutes to the day’s end. “I couldn’t go to my sister’s place in the morning because of an urgent and important day of work. I’m waiting for the end of my shift.”

Acknowledging the spirit of the festival, the Delhi Metro provided 187 extra trips and the trains ran at peak hour frequency. The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) ferried women free of cost to ensure that they reach their destinations easily.

Elaborate arrangements to ensure smooth flow of traffic were made by Delhi traffic police to “minimise inconvenience to the general public”, Joint Commissioner (Traffic) Satyendra Garg said in a statement.