Overview

• She tied her first rakhi to Modi around 1990 when he was a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh volunteer, initiating a cross-border sister-brother bond.
• This year’s offerings include two handcrafted rakhis, one bearing the Om symbol and the other depicting Lord Ganesha.
• Travel bans during the COVID-19 pandemic halted her visits in 2020 and 2021; she resumed the tradition by tying a rakhi in Delhi in 2024 alongside her husband.
• Over the years, Shaikh’s prayers for Modi’s political milestones—first as Gujarat chief minister and later as India’s prime minister—have coincided with his rise to his third term.
• Scheduled for Raksha Bandhan on August 8, the in-person revival in New Delhi awaits formal clearance from Modi’s office.