PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
The festival of Rakshabandhan which signifies the sacred bond of love, trust and commitment between sisters and brothers, was celebrated with the customary fervour in provisional capital Dehradun and other parts of the State on Friday.
The brothers and sisters were seen waiting impatiently for the auspicious time for the sisters to tie the Rakhi on the wrists of their brothers in tune with the tradition.
This year, the priests had said that there will be no Bhadra on Rakshabandhan so the entire day was considered good for celebrating the festival. However, according to them the auspicious period was from 5.57 am to 9.48 am on the day.
The markets were buzzing with activity since early morning with the buyers making the last-minute shopping for the festival.
A heavy rush was also seen at the railway station, bus stations and roads of the city due to the festival. The State government had allowed women to travel sans tickets on the day which added to their enthusiasm. A large number of women availed the special benefit provided to them on travelling. Passengers were seen waiting to board the buses for destinations such as Rishikesh, Haridwar, Roorkee, Srinagar and others. On the other hand, those who could not celebrate the festival with their brothers and sisters relied on smart phones to send messages and video calls to express their love on the festival.
Shalini Bisht, a resident of Raksha Vihar said, “I waited till the auspicious time arrived to tie Rakhi on the wrist of my brother. I love the festival as it strengthens the bond between brothers and sisters.’’
In other parts of the State too, the festival of Rakshabandhan was celebrated with gaiety and enthusiasm.
