Archive · 11 Aug 2026
Suvendu Adhikari announces Raksha Bandhan at Har Ghar Tiranga rally
A leader in West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari, said the state will celebrate a festival called Raksha Bandhan in a big, official way.
Raksha Bandhan is a special festival where brothers and sisters show their love by tying a decorative string called a rakhi.
This year, Raksha Bandhan will be celebrated on August 28.
He made this announcement at the end of a long walk called the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' rally, where people carried Indian flags.
A few thousand people walked 2.5 kilometers from near Eden Gardens to the Victoria Memorial in Calcutta.
The walk started with a patriotic song called Vande Mataram and ended with the national anthem.
The festival has an old meaning: in 1905, the famous poet Rabindranath Tagore started tying rakhis to bring people together and protest the partition of Bengal.
The government also plans to give 70 lakh (seven million) national flags to families so the flag can fly at every home.
One 16-year-old student who joined the walk said it was their national duty to honour the flag.
The West Bengal government will officially celebrate Raksha Bandhan on August 28 this year.
Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari announced the plan at the end of a 'Har Ghar Tiranga' rally near the Victoria Memorial.
A few thousand people walked 2.5 km from Akashvani Bhavan near Eden Gardens to the Victoria Memorial carrying national flags.
Raksha Bandhan's official observance draws on Rabindranath Tagore's 1905 rakhi tradition against the partition of Bengal.
The new BJP government also plans to distribute 70 lakh national flags as part of the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' programme.
- Who
- Suvendu Adhikari, chief minister of West Bengal, along with a few thousand rally participants including students.
- What
- Announced that the West Bengal government will officially celebrate Raksha Bandhan, made at a 'Har Ghar Tiranga' rally.
- When
- The announcement was made on Monday; Raksha Bandhan falls on August 28, and the Tiranga campaign runs from August 9 to 17.
- Where
- Near the Victoria Memorial in Calcutta, at the end of a 2.5 km walk from Akashvani Bhavan near Eden Gardens.
- Why
- To strengthen bonds among communities and build a 'new Bengal', honouring the festival's 1905 tradition of solidarity against the partition of Bengal.
- Announcement
- Official state-level celebration of Raksha Bandhan in West Bengal
- Festival Date
- August 28
- Rally Route
- Akashvani Bhavan near Eden Gardens to Victoria Memorial (2.5 km)
- Participants
- A few thousand people
- Flags to Distribute
- 70 lakh national flags under Har Ghar Tiranga
- Ratha Yatra Grant
- ₵5 lakh to every registered Ratha Yatra organiser
- Tiranga Campaign Period
- August 9 to 17
- Historical Roots
- Rabindranath Tagore's 1905 rakhi tradition against the partition of Bengal