3 min readNew DelhiAug 28, 2026 11:07 AM IST
Celebrity chef Vikas Khanna has shared a special Raksha Bandhan moment during Radhika Merchant’s recent visit to his New York restaurant, Bungalow, with her husband, Anant Ambani, and his family — she tied a jalebi-shaped Rakhi around Khanna’s wrist.
Sharing photos and a video from their time together on the eve of Raksha Bandhan, the chef described the gesture as a moment he would “carry in my heart forever”. “The whole world knows what the name Radhika means to me,” Khanna wrote in his Instagram post on August 27.
Recalling the Rakhi ceremony, he added, “Today, when Radhika tied a small jalebi-shaped Rakhi on my wrist, something inside me shifted. For a moment, I felt a part of me heal.”
Watch the video:
Story continues below this ad
For Khanna, the Rakhi gesture also came at a particularly emotional time. “This Rakhi season has been so much about remembrance for me with everyday guests tying so many rakhis on my wrist. It is about the people we love, what they leave behind, and how their presence continues to live within us,” he wrote.
Expressing his gratitude to Merchant, Khanna said, “Some moments cannot be planned. Some blessings simply arrive when you need them most. Thank you, Radhika, for a little thread that carried such an enormous meaning for me.”
The emotional post also drew several reactions from social media users. One person wrote, “Such a beautiful moment! Happy Rakshabandhan, Chef. You are the best brother every sister wants in her life. Radhika Di must be smiling down from heaven and feeling so proud of her champion brother.”
Another user commented, “What a beautiful gesture. Every day at BUNGALOW is celebrated as a festival, and that’s what makes it feel like home. More power to you, lots of love and happiness. Stay happy and blessed always super chef Vikas.”
Story continues below this ad
Khanna also went the extra mile to welcome the Ambani family, decorating the restaurant with flowers ahead of their arrival. A video he shared on Instagram shows the chef personally cleaning Bungalow’s glass roof and arranging flower petals to spell “Vantara”, the name of Anant Ambani’s animal welfare initiative.
Khanna also used the post to express his admiration for Anant and his work with Vantara. He wrote, “What an amazing day. I have always admired and deeply respected Anant Ambani for his extraordinary work at Vantara. Beyond the scale of what he has created, I have always found him to be an incredibly compassionate human being, with a genuine love and commitment towards animals and their protection. Hosting Anant and his family at Bungalow meant the world to me.”
Dining and Cooking