Srinagar, Aug 3 (IANS): Sashastra Seema Bal jawan Anil Nehvle on Monday felt as if he was among his family members at home in Maharashtra even though he was thousands of miles away as he stood guard in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch and women from the area walked up to him with rakhis.

The rakhis were a token of their love for all these men in uniform as every day they guard them putting their own lives at risk.

"We have come to celebrate Raksha Bandhan at the last village in Poonch with our brothers guarding the border. Our brothers from far off places are guarding these borders. They are away from their families on this day. We want to be with them today," said Anuradha Thakur, a local resident said.

Shops were closed due to corona virus lockdown, so the women made the rakhis themselves for the jawnas.

Away from their families it was a moment of joy for the SSB jawans manning posts near the Line of Control.

"I belong to Maharashtra and am on duty in Poonch. The girls in Poonch celebrated Rakhi with us. We got the love of our sisters even while we are away from our families, we are thankful for that," Anil Nehvle said.

The jawans felt overwhelmed with emotion. There was a sense of appreciation and belonging as they prepared for many more hours of vigil.

Traditionally a Rakhi also used to be tied on a man's wrist by his family before he set out for a war, and although it has become more of a festival now, there was a little of that old sentiment in Jammu and Kashmir as appreciation and gratitude for the men in uniform was evident on Raksha Bandhan as the nation celebrated the bond between brothers and sisters.