Pune: Late Smt. Lakshmibai Dagdusheth Halwai Datta Mandir Trust to Send 5,000 Rakhis to Soldiers Guarding the Nation’s Borders

Pune, 28th August 2026: In a gesture of gratitude towards soldiers serving along the country’s borders, the Late Smt. Lakshmibai Dagdusheth Halwai Datta Mandir Trust, Pune, has decided to send 5,000 rakhis to Army personnel on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.

Trust president Punit Balan has written to Major General Manoj Joshi of the Army’s 19 Infantry Division in Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir, requesting that the rakhis be accepted and distributed among soldiers.

In his letter, Balan stated that Pune is regarded as the cultural capital of Maharashtra and that the Late Smt. Lakshmibai Dagdusheth Halwai Datta Mandir holds a special place in the city’s spiritual and cultural landscape. The Trust regularly undertakes religious, spiritual and social initiatives in memory of its founder, Late Smt. Lakshmibai.

As part of one such initiative, the Trust has decided to send 5,000 rakhis to soldiers who remain stationed away from their families while guarding the nation’s borders.

Significantly, the rakhis have been prepared by Seva Sadan Dilasa Karyashala, an organisation that works with individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Through the initiative, the Trust aims to convey Pune’s gratitude, affection and Raksha Bandhan wishes to the soldiers. Balan has requested Army officials to accept the rakhis and facilitate their distribution among personnel serving along the borders.

Executive Trustee Raju Balkawade, Vice-President Adv. Vivek Bhargude, Varsha Thorve, Treasurer Adv. Suraj Thorat, Festival Head Nitin Pandit, Deputy Festival Head Manisha Khedekar, Trustee Dr Parag Kalekar and Mahendrasheth Gadve have extended their support to the initiative.

‘It Is Our Privilege to Send 5,000 Rakhis to Our Soldiers’: Punit Balan

Expressing his sentiments about the initiative, Trust president Punit Balan said he considers his appointment as president of the Late Smt. Lakshmibai Dagdusheth Halwai Datta Mandir Trust a privilege.

“Through the Trust, we are sending 5,000 rakhis to our soldier brothers who stay thousands of kilometres away from their families and protect the borders of our country. These rakhis have been made at Seva Sadan Dilasa Karyashala, which works for individuals with intellectual disabilities,” Balan said.