Pune: On the occasion of Bhaubeej, a special event was organised for the paraplegic soldiers at Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centre, Khadki. Well-known dancers Swati Daithankar and her daughter Nupur performed while around 50 women from Sainik Mitra Parivar and Sainath Mandal Trust of Budhwar Peth applied tilak on the soldiers’ foreheads.

Swati and Nupur performed Bharatnatyam dance, which had a social message. Swati said, “According to the later versions of the Hindu epic Ramayana, Shabri, an elderly woman roaming in the forest, met Lord Ram while he was searching for his wife Sita, and gave him the only fruit. Lord Ram ate it and got the courage and power to fight with Ravana and his kingdom. By performing this act through Bharatnatyam, I became Shabri and for me, all these jawans are like Lord Rama, who are still fighting their second war of life.”

Suresh Karki, a paraplegic soldier, said, “According to the tradition of Nepal, on Bhaubeej, we touch the feet of our sisters regardless of their age. Being here since 2011, I feel at home and the women at today’s event gave us a feeling of being a brother, which we miss.”

Govind Biradkar, another paraplegic soldier, said, “After watching the dance performance, I remembered the time spent with my family members. As our families stay far away from this centre, we miss them especially during the festival.”