Zohran Mamdani celebrated Raksha Bandhan with South Asian seniors at India Home in New York City on Friday, August 28, 2026. The mayor received a rakhi, spoke about mutual support and community, and linked the festival’s message to a safer, more affordable city.

Mamdani joins Raksha Bandhan celebration

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani celebrated Raksha Bandhan with South Asian seniors at India Home on Friday, August 28, 2026. Photos shared by the mayor showed an elderly woman in traditional attire tying a rakhi around his wrist during the gathering. India Home serves South Asian older adults in New York, providing community and support.

Mamdani said the sacred thread symbolizes a promise to protect, support and stand by one another. He said seniors at India Home find care, community and a sense of chosen family, connecting that message to solidarity across New York City.

Raksha Bandhan centers on protection and family bonds

Raksha Bandhan is a Hindu festival traditionally associated with the bond between brothers and sisters. Sisters commonly tie decorative rakhis on their brothers’ wrists, while brothers offer gifts and express their commitment to support them.

Mamdani broadened that theme beyond family, saying New Yorkers should continue standing by one another as the city works toward greater safety and affordability.

Outreach to New York’s Indian American community

Mamdani was sworn in as New York City’s 112th mayor on January 1, 2026, and is the first Indian American mayor in the city’s history. His participation at India Home placed the festival within the wider cultural life of New York’s South Asian diaspora.

The appearance also came during a week in which Mamdani publicly opposed a separate August 29 event at Madison Square Garden featuring Mohan Bhagwat, head of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or RSS. Mamdani said he opposed the group’s vision but questioned whether the city had authority to cancel a private event.

Festival message meets wider city politics

The Raksha Bandhan visit emphasized community care and mutual support. Mamdani tied the festival’s symbolism to his administration’s goals of making New York safer and more affordable, while his separate comments about the RSS event reflected continuing debate over identity, pluralism and diaspora politics in the city.