That loneliness can play on their minds and, without the love of their families, there is a danger they may turn to alcohol and even drugs.

To help them overcome their loneliness, a group of Malaysian-Nepali women performed a Rakhsa Bandhan ceremony at the Sri Sakthi Karpaga Vinayagar temple at Brickfields, here, on Sunday.

Rakhsha Bandhan is a ceremony performed by Hindus and Sikhs to celebrate the bond of love between brother and sister.

The ritual is performed annually at the end of August and is widely celebrated in Nepal, Bangladesh, parts of India, and also among a small segment of Indians in Malaysia.

Shankar Bahadur Poudel, a representative of the Nepali society in Malaysia, said the celebration today was intended to show Nepali workers in the country that they are part of a community they can count on.

Shankar, a Malaysian, said the celebration was to give a sense of family to the Nepali workers who have left their homes behind to earn a living.

He said many of these workers are underappreciated at their workplaces and have no one else to turn to. As a result, many develop bad habits and fall prey to social ills.

“We want them to know that we acknowledge their presence here in Malaysia, and that they are not alone,” he said.

The ceremony itself is colourful and begins with all participants singing religious songs in Sanskrit, called “bhajans”.

This is followed by the women offering a short prayer for the men’s wellbeing. Then, applying “bindi” (commonly known here as the “pottu”) on their foreheads, the women feed the men with sweets.

They also tie a red thread with golden ornaments, or a rakhi, on the men’s right wrist to signify the bond between brother and sister.

In turn, the men usually give the women a gift, although offerings of money will be politely declined. The men then show their gratitude by bowing down to touch the women’s feet.

Shankar’s wife, Tara Poudel, 57, also took part in the ceremony, saying it was her first time tying a rakhi for someone other than a family member.

“I used to do this for my own relations, but today I am doing it for the other Nepalis here who are far away from their homes,” Tara said.

She said she has adopted a few new “brothers” following the ceremony, and invoked blessings on them. They now also have her phone number in case they need someone to talk to.

“Some opened their wallets to give me a gift, but I said it’s OK, I’ll give you my blessings instead,” she said.

Tara’s new “brothers” – Dambar Bahadur Baral, 33 and Bidur Dhamala, 28 – said they were happy to take part in the celebration because it reminded them of home.

“I have a sister at home in Nepal and we did the celebration there. Today, it feels just like at home,” Bidur said.

“It really feels like Tara is my new sister. I told her that I would pay her family a visit for Deepavali this year,” said Dambar.