Rakhi tied to Shrawan finale, markets abuzz, security tightened

Varanasi: On the eve of the last Monday of the Shrawan month, coinciding this year with the celebration of Rakshabandhan, markets and shops, particularly those selling rakhis, sweets, and gifts, were bustling with enthusiastic buyers.
Regarding arrangements for the last Monday and Rakshabandhan, police commissioner Mohit Agrawal stated, “Crowd management measures will be implemented on lines of arrangements made for the first four Mondays of Shrawan.As Rakshabandhan is falling on the last Monday, additional teams of women police, patrolling vehicles, and policemen will be deployed throughout the city to maintain a vigil, especially on anti-social elements.”
Although the influx of saffron-clad Kanwariyas was comparatively lower on the eve of the last Monday compared to the initial four Mondays of the Shrawan month, lengthy queues of pilgrims from across the nation were visible in and around the Kashi Vishwanath Dham. Meanwhile, temporary rakhi stalls and shops selling sweets and gift items continued to attract large number of buyers on Sunday. Traditional rakhis were in high demand, while those made of silver and flowers too garnered significant interest from buyers.