Students in Nepal Celebrate Creation Through Raksha Bandhan

Students at Navjyoti School in Surkhet, Nepal, found a meaningful way to connect a familiar cultural tradition with care for creation.

During Raksha Bandhan, members of the school’s Eco Club made environmentally friendly Rakhis and tied them around trees and plants on the school campus. The gesture reflected the festival’s traditional themes of love, protection and responsibility while inviting students to consider their relationship with the natural world.

Raksha Bandhan means “bond of protection.” Traditionally, sisters tie a Rakhi around their brothers’ wrists as a sign of affection and mutual care. At Navjyoti School, students extended that idea to the trees and plants around them.

The celebration began with prayer. Students then tied the handmade Rakhis to trees, expressed gratitude for the life around them and made a commitment to care for the environment.

The activity was part of the school’s observance of the Season of Creation, held each year from Sept. 1 through Oct. 4. The season invites Christians around the world to pray, reflect and take action for the care of Earth.

By connecting Raksha Bandhan with care for creation, students were able to experience an environmental lesson rooted in a tradition already meaningful within their culture.

Navjyoti School is administered by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. Through activities such as this, students are encouraged to see care for creation as part of everyday life and responsibility to one another.

The Rakhis tied to the trees will eventually fade, but the students’ commitment can continue through simple actions such as protecting trees, reducing waste and caring for their school environment.

The original story was written by Sister Elsy Kotteriyil and published by Radio Veritas Asia.