A THANKSGIVING event has been organised by Middlesbrough’s Hindu community to honour members of the Armed Forces.

The Hindu Cultural Society has invited military personnel to join them for their Armed Forces Raksha Bandhan Day on Monday, August 20.

Raksha Bandhan – meaning ‘the bond of protection’ - is a Hindu tradition that celebrates the relationship between brothers and sisters and the notions of brotherhood, protection and love.

At Monday's event, servicemen and women will be invited to take part in an honorary ceremony that will see rakhis – cotton bracelets - tied around their wrists as a symbol of protection.

The celebration, taking part at Middlesbrough’s Hindu Temple, on Westbourne Grove, will also allow the invited Armed Forces personnel to enjoy a meal and speeches from various community representatives.

Prem Kumar, from the Hindu Cultural Society, said it was a way of saying thank you, adding: “British Hindus have a long history and proud tradition of contribution to UK defence, going back as far as the First World War and continuing to this day with 1,500 Gurkhas and more as reservists and MOD civil servants.

“This is an opportunity to celebrate those links, reaffirming British Hindu commitment to supporting our Armed Forces and developing meaningful relations between the Armed Forces and British Hindus.”