Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday was moved by the emotional gesture of a rescued woman pilgrim from Gujarat who tore a part of her saree's 'pallu' and tied it like a 'rakhi' on his wrist to thank him for taking such good care of the stranded yatris.
Touched by her warm gesture, Dhami bowed to her with folded hands, saying it was a very "special blessing" for him.
The incident happened at Harsil helipad when Dhan Gauri, a resident of Ishanpur in Ahmedabad, went over to the chief minister to express her gratitude for being looked after so well by the state government.
Dhami has been camping in Uttarkashi for the last three days to keep a close eye on the rescue operations underway in the affected areas of the district.
The festival of rakhi or Raksha Bandhan, which celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters, falls on Saturday.
Officials said many pilgrims from Gujarat had to return to Gangotri after the flashflood hit Dharali on Tuesday.
They were put up at hotels and other lodging facilities there and taken good care of, the officials said, adding that they began to be evacuated in helicopters to Matli and Harsil when the weather improved on Tuesday.
{{/usCountry}}They were put up at hotels and other lodging facilities there and taken good care of, the officials said, adding that they began to be evacuated in helicopters to Matli and Harsil when the weather improved on Tuesday.
{{/usCountry}}So far, 650 pilgrims have been evacuated since Tuesday, when torrents of mud swallowed homes, hotels and cars.
Officials have said four people were killed in the flash floods. Two bodies were recovered on Wednesday.
The Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA) said 16 people, including nine Army personnel and seven civilians, are missing.