Lucknow students pledge to protect trees by tying rakhis

Students of Delhi Public School (DPS), Lucknow, tied rakhis or designer threads on trees, ahead of Raksha Bandhan, a sibling festival, in a gesture to save environment.

Lucknow, Aug 25 : Students of Delhi Public School (DPS), Lucknow, tied rakhis or designer threads on trees, ahead of Raksha Bandhan, a sibling festival, in a gesture to save environment.

Students tied rakhis of all shapes, colours and sizes on trees in the school premises.

"We want to send across the message that we need to protect our environment. We need to water trees regularly and increase their numbers so that they provide us oxygen and we lead better lives," said Simran, a student.

Sonali Singh, a teacher, said the children's gesture is a symbol of their pledge to conserve and protect the environment.

"Raksha Bandhan, traditionally, is about siblings, but we had a special function where children bonded with the trees," said Singh.

"This was done so that the children conserve trees and in return, trees provide us with oxygen, greenery, and thus children get attached to the environment," she said.

"Rakhis" or sacred threads are tied by sister to their brothers' wrists on Raksha Bandhan as a token of love wishing them prosperity and happiness, while the latter pledge to protect her honour.

This year the festival of "Raksha Bandhan" falls on August 28. Rakhis are usually made of tinsel, colourful cotton, silk, gold or silver twisted threads.

Environmental activists are giving their "save trees" movement a religious sanctity by linking it with this popular festival.

The tradition of Raksha Bandhan dates back to several centuries, when Hindu Queen Rani Roopmati, at time of war, sent a thread to the Mughal ruler Jehangir, requesting his protection from the enemy.

Emperor Jehangir accepted the thread and honoured her request.

ANI