It all began when the women of Samarpan Bharat, a group based in Dombivli, felt a strong desire to personally tie rakhis to the brave soldiers guarding our borders, especially those posted along the sensitive Jammu and Kashmir frontier. With this noble thought in mind, they reached out to Sangeeta Nashirabadkar, who immediately supported the idea.

Preparations began over a month in advance. Each woman took up the task of making ten handmade rakhis, and students from a local school also contributed by crafting greeting cards and rakhis for the soldiers. They decided not just to celebrate Raksha Bandhan, but also to explore the region and understand the life and sacrifice of the jawans. A 3-4 day trip was planned, with the team aiming to reach Jammu by 8th August.

With all preparations in place, the group reached Jammu as scheduled. The special Raksha Bandhan celebration was set for 9th August. Due to the sensitive nature of the location, details were kept highly confidential. At around 7:30 AM, a simple car arrived to guide the team. Following the instructions, their bus trailed the car, taking them to a highly secured area — Makwal, near the International Border.