Gujarat anganwadi workers send 4.5 lakh rakhis to border soldiers for Raksha Bandhan
Synopsis
Gujarat's Anganwadi workers have scaled up a quiet but powerful tradition — from one lakh rakhis in 2024 to more than 4.5 lakh in 2025, all bound for soldiers at India's borders. The 'Ek Rakhi Desh Ke Jawano Ke Naam' initiative, now in its third year, turns a domestic festival into a nationwide gesture of solidarity with the armed forces.
Key Takeaways
More than 4.5 lakh rakhis prepared by Gujarat's Anganwadi workers will be sent to border soldiers ahead of Raksha Bandhan 2025 .
The handover ceremony was held in Gandhinagar on 25 August , presided over by Deputy CM Harsh Sanghavi and Minister Manisha Vakil .
Recipients include personnel from the Indian Army , Air Force , Navy , BSF , CRPF , and NDRF .
This is the third consecutive year of the 'Ek Rakhi Desh Ke Jawano Ke Naam' initiative.
The number of rakhis has grown more than fourfold from over one lakh in 2024 to 4.5 lakh in 2025 .
More than 4.5 lakh rakhis handcrafted by Anganwadi workers across Gujarat will be dispatched to soldiers guarding the country's borders ahead of Raksha Bandhan, under the state's 'Ek Rakhi Desh Ke Jawano Ke Naam' initiative, officials confirmed on Tuesday, 25 August. The symbolic handover took place in Gandhinagar in the presence of senior state and defence officials.
The Handover Ceremony
A 'Raksha Sutra Kalash' — a ceremonial vessel carrying the rakhis — was formally presented to senior representatives of the Indian Army, Air Force, Navy, Border Security Force (BSF), and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi and Women and Child Welfare Minister Manisha Vakil presided over the event.
Personnel from the Army, BSF, CRPF, and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) received the Kalash in Gandhinagar, while senior officers representing the Air Force and Navy were also presented rakhis separately.
What the Initiative Stands For
The 'Ek Rakhi Desh Ke Jawano Ke Naam' initiative is designed to bridge the emotional distance between civilians and armed forces personnel stationed far from their families. The rakhis, prepared under the guidance of the Women and Child Welfare Department, carry the prayers and goodwill of the Anganwadi workers — many of whom are mothers and sisters themselves — for the safety of soldiers on duty.
This is the third consecutive year Gujarat has observed the initiative, reflecting a sustained institutional commitment to honouring defence and paramilitary personnel during the festival.
Scale-Up from Previous Years
The programme has grown sharply in scale. In 2024, Gujarat's Anganwadi workers sent more than one lakh rakhis to serving personnel under the same initiative. The 4.5 lakh figure for 2025 marks a more than fourfold increase, underscoring the expanding reach of the programme across the state's Anganwadi network.
The state government has described the gesture as a way of conveying the affection of mothers and sisters to personnel serving in difficult conditions far from home.
Officials Present
The ceremony was attended by Women and Child Development Secretary Rakesh Shankar, Commissioner (Women and Child Development) Ranjit Kumar Singh, senior departmental officials, and Anganwadi workers and supervisors from across the state. Representatives of the BSF, CRPF, and NDRF were also present.
As Raksha Bandhan approaches, the rakhis are expected to reach soldiers deployed along India's land and maritime borders, reinforcing the bond between the nation's civilians and its uniformed protectors.
Point of View
Not the ceremony. It suggests the 'Ek Rakhi Desh Ke Jawano Ke Naam' initiative has moved well beyond a symbolic gesture and is now embedded in Gujarat's Anganwadi operational calendar. What mainstream coverage tends to miss is the grassroots mobilisation this requires: coordinating hundreds of thousands of handmade rakhis across a state-wide network of frontline women workers is a logistical feat, and one that quietly builds institutional goodwill between the welfare machinery and the armed forces. Whether other states adopt a similar model — or whether this remains a Gujarat-specific soft-power exercise — is worth watching.
NationPress
25 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 'Ek Rakhi Desh Ke Jawano Ke Naam' initiative?
It is a Gujarat government initiative under which Anganwadi workers across the state prepare rakhis and send them to soldiers serving at India's borders ahead of Raksha Bandhan. Now in its third year, the programme is run by the Women and Child Welfare Department and aims to express civilian solidarity with armed forces personnel stationed away from their families.
How many rakhis are being sent in 2025, and how does that compare to last year?
More than 4.5 lakh rakhis are being dispatched in 2025, compared to over one lakh in 2024 — a more than fourfold increase. The growth reflects the expanding reach of the initiative across Gujarat's Anganwadi network.
Which defence and paramilitary forces received the rakhis?
Senior representatives of the Indian Army, Air Force, Navy, Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) received the rakhis at the Gandhinagar ceremony on 25 August.
Who attended the handover ceremony in Gandhinagar?
The ceremony was presided over by Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi and Women and Child Welfare Minister Manisha Vakil. Also present were Women and Child Development Secretary Rakesh Shankar, Commissioner Ranjit Kumar Singh, senior officials, and Anganwadi workers and supervisors from across Gujarat.
Why does this initiative matter?
The programme uses Raksha Bandhan — a festival traditionally celebrated within families — to forge a symbolic bond between Gujarat's frontline women workers and soldiers deployed in difficult border conditions far from home. Its year-on-year growth signals it has become a sustained state-level tradition rather than a one-off gesture.
