Pledges to Save Mahan Forest at Raksha Bandhan Festival in India

In a pledge to save the Mahan forests of Singrauli, from coal mining, people from across 10 cities, including Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, sent over 8,900 rakhis to the forest dwelling communities of Mahan forests. Over 1,000 community members including a large number of women and children from about 24 villages of the region braved heavy rains and tied the rakhis to a giant Mahua tree in Mahan forests. These Rakhis were made by 98 volunteers from across 10 cities in India.
Giving a new meaning to a festival that traditionally symbolizes a brother vowing to protect his sister in return for a rakhi (a sacred thread on his wrist), 10 Mumbaikars prepared and tied a 54-foot-long rakhi as a symbol of the 54 villages in Mahan that stand to lose their livelihoods if the forest is cut down.