By Faisal Fareed, TwoCircles.net,
Lucknow: Raksha Bandhan, the festival denoting the love and bondage between brothers and sisters, will be celebrated on Saturday. Living upto its Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb, the city of nawabs, Lucknow also has a tradition wherein the royal family of nawabs celebrate the festival with same zeal and gaiety as the Hindu brethren do.
Syed Masoom Raza (Advocate)
The most visible royal face Nawab Mir Jafar Abdullah still remembers his student days at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) where his sister used to tie rakhi over his hand. “She is not my real sister but I regard Kaneez Fatima as my real sister. The rakhi still arrives and I eagerly await it,” said Nawab Mir Jafar Abdullah. He, however, remains critical of the changes which had creeped in this pious festival. “This festival is above religion and we have a tradition in Awadh to celebrate it. There are many friends of mine who have Hindu sisters though not real but regarded more than that and they eagerly wait for the festival,” said Nawab Abdullah.
Nawab Jafar Mir Abdullah
Nawab Syed Badrul Hasan, better known as Pappu Polister for his roles in TV and films, is also eagerly looking forward for the festival. “In Mumbai, the festival is incomplete for me till I visit Income Tax Commissioner SB Prasad’s house. His wife Archana Prasad waits for me on Raksha Bandhan day to tie the rakhi,” said Polister. He, however, decried the latest trends where people visit hotels and restaurants to celebrate the festival. “The festival denotes our unity and it should be celebrated with our family members and not as an extravaganza,” he added.
Sahebzadi Naseema Raza
Another descendent Begum Naseema Raza too visits her brother Saurabh Tiwari’s house to tie rakhi. “Besides the rakhi I also do not fail to take my gift from him. If I cannot reach him, he will come to our house. Till I tie my rakhi on his hand he will not allow his real sisters to tie the rakhi,” said Begum Raza.
Nawab Syed Badrul Hasan “Pappu Polister”
Syed Masoom Raza of Sultanat Manzil, City Station too has two Hindu sisters who tie rakhi on his hand. “They are Hindu but their love is in no way less than our real sisters. We also reciprocate their gesture and respect them,” he said.