Overview

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed schoolchildren and members of the Brahma Kumaris at his 7 Lok Kalyan Marg residence, sharing sweets and blessings as satellites like Defence Minister Rajnath Singh joined him in celebrations.
• President Droupadi Murmu tied rakhis on students and children at Rashtrapati Bhavan and urged citizens to pledge support for women’s safety and empowerment in her Raksha Bandhan message.
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah, alongside state leaders and opposition figures such as Yogi Adityanath and Rahul Gandhi, took to social media to extend greetings and emphasize the festival’s theme of love, trust and protection.
• In Mumbai, grassroots initiatives saw philanthropist Dr Aneel Kashi Murarka gift a new auto rickshaw to driver Sarika Mestry, while NGOs like Sona Sarovar Trust and Social Activities Integration hosted slum children and marginalized women for communal rakhi-tying ceremonies.
• Bollywood stars from Kangana Ranaut and Shilpa Shetty to Priyanka Chopra and Ananya Panday shared heartfelt posts and virtual rakhi celebrations, underscoring the festival’s expanding embrace beyond blood relations.