The Hindu Centre’s annual Raksha Bandhan celebration was held on Sept 6, with about 450 people gathering to celebrate the festival and exchange rakhis as symbols of friendship, support and protection.
Held at Lee Foundation Hall at the Singapore Khalsa Association, the event’s guest of honour was Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and Ministry of Trade and Industry Low Yen Ling.
Traditionally, Raksha Bandhan is a festival that celebrates the brother-sister relationship, with the latter tying a rakhi around the former’s wrist in a vow of protection. At this celebration, however, the practice extended beyond family ties, with attendees exchanging rakhis with one another.
Mr Rajesh Kumar, coordinator of the Raksha Bandhan organising committee, said the festival had been adapted to promote what he called "Universal Brotherhood." This year’s theme, "Vividhatayam Aikyam," or “Unity in Diversity,” aims to bring people from different communities together.
“In the present era, there are many problems all around the world. This event is now more relevant to help each other, to protect each other, and to take care of each other,” he said.
The program included a children’s art competition, a family rakhi-making competition, and cultural performances by eight schools and community organisations. The art competition has been running for about 12 years, while the rakhi-making competition was introduced later.
The celebration also recognised three community leaders for their contributions.
Mr Om Prakash Rai and Mr K Rama Prasad received the Lifetime Achievement Award. The former was recognised for more than six decades of service to Sanatana Dharma, Vedic education, and the community, including more than 50 years with Arya Samaj Singapore.
Mr K Rama Prasad was honoured for more than three decades of community service and volunteerism, including his work with Nikam Guruji Yoga Kutir, where he has helped train more than 700 yoga instructors.
Mr S Devendran, chief executive officer (CEO) of Sree Narayana Mission, received the Outstanding Community Leadership Award for his contributions to public service and community development.
For the organisers, the celebration is also a year-long effort. The venue is typically booked about a year in advance, followed by planning meetings covering the cadence of the programmes, catering and performances. Regular meetings with volunteers begin about two months before the event.
The Hindu Centre has also adopted a rotating partnership model recently, giving different Hindu organisations an opportunity to take the lead. VCS was this year’s partner.
Next year, the Kamala Club, a more than 100-year-old women’s organisation, will be the partner organisation.
Mr Kumar added that the partnerships give participating organisations opportunities to build a wider network and gain exposure.
For volunteers such as Basalingappa Kandagalla, who has been involved with the event for the past 10 years, the celebration is also a way to stay connected to culture while bringing communities together.
Mr Kandagalla was responsible for food arrangements this year, including meals for the 450 guests and snacks for 70 volunteers. Upon reflection, he said the event has progressively grown each year and has given people living away from their places of origin an opportunity to reconnect with traditions from their childhood.
“When this kind of event is arranged, everyone is so happy to remember their childhood culture,” he said. “It’s critical to meet other communities’ people without any hesitation and make a good community and grow up in a multicultural country like Singapore.”
Mr Kandagalla added that he hoped younger generations would continue participating in the festival. “When we make this a part of their life year after year, they will wait for this every year to participate,” he said.
