Bareilly, Aug 28: On the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, more than 20,000 women from across Bareilly and the surrounding region came together to tie rakhis on Dr. Umesh Gautam, Mayor of Bareilly and Chancellor of Invertis University, and Mr. Parth Gautam, Pro Chancellor of Invertis University and Founder of Parth Foundation, as part of their annual community initiative celebrating women and reaffirming a commitment to their support, protection and empowerment.
The initiative, which has become a recurring annual tradition, is designed to give the festival a deeper social meaning. Every woman participating in the celebration is formally invited to join the occasion, with the rakhi arranged and provided by the teams of Dr. Umesh Gautam and Mr. Parth Gautam.
In return, each woman is presented with a saree as a gesture of appreciation, respect and support. The exchange goes beyond a customary festival gesture, symbolising a larger promise to stand with women and support their dignity, safety and empowerment not just on Raksha Bandhan but throughout the year.
The scale of this year's celebration reflects the strong community participation that the initiative has built over the years. The Raksha Bandhan programme is also one of several recurring welfare and community initiatives undertaken by Dr. Umesh Gautam and Mr. Parth Gautam throughout the year, reflecting their continued focus on the welfare of society.
Their community initiatives have included free drinking-water points for the public during peak summer, free tea distribution for daily-wage workers and commuters, helmet-distribution drives to promote road safety, along with several other grassroots welfare activities across Bareilly.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Umesh Gautam, Mayor of Bareilly and Chancellor of Invertis University, said,
“Raksha Bandhan is a celebration of a promise to protect and stand by one another. When more than 20,000 women come together to tie rakhis, it reminds us of the responsibility that comes with that bond. For us, this is not a promise limited to one day. It is a reaffirmation of our continued commitment to supporting, respecting and empowering women throughout the year.”
Mr. Parth Gautam, Pro Chancellor of Invertis University and Founder of Parth Foundation, said,
“Every woman who joins us today is an important part of this celebration. The rakhi provided by our teams and the saree given in return are gestures of respect, but the larger message is about creating a lasting bond of support. We want every woman to know that the values represented by this rakhi — dignity, protection and empowerment — are commitments we intend to carry forward throughout the year.”
The initiative brings together civic leadership, education and social responsibility, with Dr. Umesh Gautam serving as Mayor of Bareilly and Chancellor of Invertis University, and Mr. Parth Gautam serving as Pro Chancellor of Invertis University and Founder of Parth Foundation.
The annual Raksha Bandhan celebration forms part of a broader calendar of welfare initiatives undertaken by the two leaders. From providing drinking water and refreshments to promoting road safety and creating platforms for community engagement focused on women, these initiatives aim to maintain a sustained connection with the people of Bareilly and contribute to their welfare beyond individual occasions.
With more than 20,000 women participating and tying rakhis on Umesh Gautam and Parth Gautam, this year's celebration reinforces the larger message behind the tradition: Raksha Bandhan is not simply about receiving a rakhi, but about honouring the promise of support, protection, dignity and empowerment that the rakhi represents.
