PM Narendra Modi's rakhi sister passes away in Dhanbad

104-year-old Sharbati Devi had tied a rakhi on PM Narendra Modi's wrist last Raksha Bandhan.

This photo was tweeted by @PMOIndia

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rakhi sister- Sharbati Devi - passed away in Dhanbad on Saturday. She was 104.

Sharbati, who had written to PM Modi last year - expressing a desire to tie a rakhi on his wrist because she missed her deceased brother, passed away due to age-related reasons. Her funeral will take place on March 11.

The centenarian had made headlines when she met PM Modi at his official residence in Lok Kalyan Marg last August on the occassion of Rakhi. Since her brother had passed away some 50 years ago, she had expressed a desire to tie a rakhi on PM Modi's wrist. And PM Modi had obliged. A beaming Sharbati then joined several schoolgirls to celebrate Raksha Bandhan with the Prime Minister.

Born in pre-partition era, Sharbati married Dhanraj Agarwal and had nine children with him. While she lost her husband and two children, she herself leaves behind four sons - Ramavtaar Agarwal, Rajendra Agarwal, Mohan Agarwal and Mahendra Agarwal, and three daughters - Lakshmi Devi, Ramkali Devi and Sharda Devi.