68,000 Rakhis, One Powerful Bond: Sisters Across 14 Countries Unite for India’s Border Soldiers

What if there’s no brother to tie a rakhi to? For thousands of women, the answer is simple: there’s a soldier at the border.Ahead of Raksha Bandhan, Vadodara is witnessing an extraordinary expression of gratitude and affection for India’s armed forces. More than 68,000 rakhis are being collected to be sent to soldiers serving in challenging conditions along the country’s borders.The initiative, led by former teacher and writer Sanjay Bachchan, has transformed a simple festive gesture into a powerful nationwide movement.But the story goes back to 2015.That year, Bachchan collected just 75 rakhis and sent them to soldiers. What started modestly has steadily grown, year after year, into a large public campaign connecting women with soldiers they may never meet but regard as brothers.A Rakhi That Travels Across BordersThe affection behind the campaign has travelled much farther than Vadodara.Women from more than 40 cities across 14 Indian states have joined the initiative, making or purchasing rakhis and sending them to Vadodara for onward delivery to soldiers.And the movement has crossed India’s borders too.Indian women living in 14 countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, the UAE and Germany, have joined hands with the campaign.For these women, the rakhi is more than a colourful thread. It carries a message of gratitude to soldiers who spend festivals away from their families while standing guard in some of the country's most demanding environments.“If There Is No Brother, There Is a Border Soldier”At the heart of the campaign is an emotional idea: “What if there is no brother, there is a border soldier.”The sentiment transforms Raksha Bandhan into something larger than a family celebration.Each rakhi becomes a symbolic promise of affection and respect—sent from a sister who may not know the soldier’s name, yet wants him to know that someone is thinking of him on a day traditionally reserved for brothers and sisters.From 75 rakhis in 2015 to more than 68,000 today, the journey reflects the extraordinary power of a simple idea.Thousands of threads, countless emotions and sisters spread across continents are coming together to send one message to the men protecting the nation: you may be far from home, but you are not forgotten.