Vrikshabandhan: An annual ritual in Visakhapatnam to tie rakhis around trees

Every year during Rakhi Pournami (Rakshabandhan), a small group in Visakhapatnam gathers in public parks and roadside verges for an annual ritual. Their purpose is not celebration in the conventional sense, but a gesture of reverence to the trees that have witnessed the city’s evolution.

This is Vrikshabandhan, an annual ritual initiated by Green Climate, a Visakhapatnam-based environmental organisation. Conceived by its founder-secretary JV Ratnam, the tradition involves tying rakhis around the trunks of the city’s oldest and most significant trees.

“The idea was never just ceremonial,” says Ratnam. “It came from the need to cultivate a relationship between people and the trees. Once that connection is established, a sense of responsibility follows naturally.”

The ritual found its most tangible expression some years ago, when a century-old banyan tree on the Railway Station Road in Dondaparthy faced the threat of felling. Through a carefully orchestrated Vrikshabandhan initiative, the organisation mobilised public attention, spread awareness about the tree as a symbol of living heritage and succeeded in halting the process.

This year, the organisation will continue its tradition by tying rakhis to 30 trees across the city. The locations include Central Park, the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, and other areas where large, old trees still hold their ground. According to Ratnam, these trees are more than carbon sinks or sources of shade. “They are local landmarks, rooted in the collective consciousness of communities,” he adds. Many of these trees serve as essential habitats for birds, squirrels and small mammals, forming a quiet but intricate web of urban biodiversity.

Ahead of the festival, Green Climate also held a seed rakhi making workshop at SVVP Degree College in MVP Colony. The students were introduced to seeds from native medicinal and herbal plant species, which were used to craft rakhis that serve a dual purpose.