Photos shared by Mamdani showed the heartwarming moment an elderly woman, dressed in traditional Indian attire, tied a rakhi onto his wrist. He noted that the festival’s pious thread represented a promise to protect, support and stand by one another. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani celebrated Raksha Bandhan on Friday (Aug 28) with the Indian expat community at India Home, a community centre for South Asian seniors.
Mamdani linked the festival’s spirit of standing by one another to broader city goals of creating a safer and more affordable New York for all residents. “Hello everyone! I am just popping in to wish you all a happy Rakhi. I hope you’re having a lovely day with family, wherever you may me,” Mamdani could be heard saying in the video. “The vision of India that I was taught by my family and one that I grew up being very familiar with was of a pluralistic society of a secular Republic that believed in the belonging of each and every person who was from India. And it has been incredibly troubling to see the rise of a movement that is predicated on an exclusionary vision.
“Today I shared in the joy of this ceremony with elders at India Home, where South Asian seniors find community, care, and chosen family,” Mamdani added. The event’s website casts the August 29 gathering as the “Universal Oneness Celebration” bringing together the Hindu American community.
