The UK’s prime minister Rishi Sunak made history when he became the primary person of color to tackle the highest job.
He has been outspoken about his Indian heritage and is “pleased with his faith” as a Hindu. During his meeting with King Charles III where the monarch officially appointed him the brand new prime minister, many viewers spotted a red bracelet on his right wrist.
The red bracelet also featured prominently in his appearance before the Covid inquiry on Monday (11 December).
According to Guardian journalist Aina Khan, the string bracelet is “traditionally worn by Hindus for cover”.
Dr Edward Anderson, assistant professor in history at Northumbria University who specialises in history and politics of India and Britain, also tweeted: “The red ‘bracelet’ might be a kautuka, which is part of Hindu culture.”
A kautuka often comprises of woven thread, cord or ribbon and is traditionally believed to have protective properties for the wearer.
It is frequently tied on by a priest or oldest member of the family during a Hindu rite-of-passage or yajna ritual. It is worn on the proper wrist for men and the left wrist for girls.
The red thread also features in other family and marital ceremonies in Hindu culture. For example, it’s tied to each the bride and groom in a Hindu bridal ceremony to symbolise the bond between husband and wife.
Sunak can be known for wearing other bracelets around his wrist, including a charm bracelet with the letters “DADA” that he donned during debates last 12 months when he was vying for the Conservative Party leadership.
According to reports, this was an adjunct made for him by his daughters Krishna and Anoushka.
Another kind of bracelet may very well be a rakhi, in response to Dr Anderson, which is tied onto brothers by their sisters in the course of the Raksha Bandhan festival.
The festival celebrates brotherhood and love, and the rakhi, which made from interwoven red and gold threads, symbolises the siblings’ relationships.
Sunak is the eldest of three siblings. He has a brother, Sanjay, who works as a psychologist, while his sister Raakhi serves as chief of strategy and planning at Education Cannot Wait, a world fund for education by the United Nations.
