Happy RakshaBandhan

It snowed last year too: I made a snowman and my brother knocked it down and I knocked my brother down and then we had tea.- Dylan Thomas

We form many different relationships throughout our life and all of them are special in their own way. There are different festivals to celebrate these bonds. One such festival is Raksha Bandhan.

Rakhsha Bandhan is an age-old festival; it is mainly celebrated between brothers and sisters from Hindu Indian families. Rakshabandhan is not only a function of exchanging gifts but It is also a great sacred verse of unity, acting as a symbol of life's togetherness. Raksha means protection, and in some places in medieval India, where women felt unsafe, they tied Rakhi on the wrist of men, considering them as brothers. In this way, Rakhi strengthens the bond of love between brothers and sisters, and revives the emotional bonding.

Just like brother and sister, the bond of mother nature and humans is special. Since Mother Nature has always provided us with all the necessities required for living being to survive, it is our turn to protect our nature.

Respecting this bond of Nature and human, GAJERA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, KATARGAM celebrated Rakshabandhan in an eco-friendly way and the learners of our primary section made eco-friendly Rakhis, as well as wrapped the gifts for their siblings without creating plastic wastage. Learners of grade 6 to 8 even made Plantable Rakhis, which they will observe and update science educators how it has also sprouted and became strong after months, same as their relation with siblings.

These ways of celebrating Rakshabandhan will create awareness and responsibility towards nature in addition to the joy of this auspicious festival. Learners expressed their delight about these celebrations by stating that they felt good by wrapping the gift for their siblings all by themselves. Even if they got gifts from outside wrapping it gave some personal touch to their gifts. Some stated that after disposing of plantable rakhis they will have memories of their special day in the form of plants. Others felt happy that they made rakhis using biodegradable materials which won't be harming our natural environment.

At the end of celebration learners also vowed to protect and care for their mother nature as they would do to their own siblings.