Upon taking office, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has set several firsts for the office of UK Prime Minister.
He has become the first British Asian to hold the position of Prime Minister, the youngest PM for 200 years, and quite possibly the wealthiest person to ever take up the top job in UK politics.
He is also the first Hindu to become Prime Minister, often mentioning his pride in his family, heritage, and upbringing.
As you’d expect, the new Tory PM has been in front of the press a lot recently, including his debut speech in front of the Downing Street lectern, the first meeting of his new cabinet, and his various calls with world and regional leaders.
While Mr Sunak’s (seemingly expensive) fashion taste has been remarked upon by plenty, including by Liz Truss in a leadership debate, it’s a much smaller detail that seems to have caught the public’s eye recently.
Some eagle-eyed news viewers have noticed that the new PM is often pictured wearing a red bracelet, including during his meeting with King Charles III, as well as at his first cabinet meeting.
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While he hasn’t commented on the accessory, it is speculated to be a traditional Hindu bracelet that can be worn all year round, but they hold special importance during Diwali, which celebrated earlier this week.
Dr Edward Anderson, assistant professor in history at Northumbria University who specialises in history and politics of India and Britain, identified the bracelet in a tweet: ‘The red “bracelet” is probably a kautuka, which is a part of Hindu culture.’
Although they are often called kautukas, the bracelets have many names, including kalava, mauli, moui, raksasutra, pratisara (in North India), kaapu, kayiru or charandu (in South India).
A kautuka usually comprises of woven thread, cord or ribbon – which is typically red.
Colours are significant in the Hindu faith, and according to Sanskriti Magazine, red can indicate both sensuality and purity.
Guardian correspondent Aina Khan tweeted that the bracelet is ‘traditionally worn by Hindus for protection.’
It is worn on the right wrist for men and the left wrist for women.
It is often used for important occasions like marriages, the birth of a child, festivals, and more… like becoming Prime Minister, perhaps?
Another type of bracelet could be a rakhi, which is tied onto brothers by their sisters during the Raksha Bandhan festival. In 2022, this took place on August 11.
The festival celebrates brotherhood and love, and the rakhi, which made of interwoven red and gold threads, symbolises the siblings’ relationships.
Mr Sunak has two younger siblings, a brother named Sanjay and a sister named Raakhi.
This isn’t the first time that people have noticed Mr Sunak’s bracelets.
As Chancellor in 2021, he was often spotted wearing a charm bracelet sporting the word ‘DADA’.
It’s believed this particular bit of bling was made for him by his daughters, Krishna and Anoushka.
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