Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh), Oct 30 : Prison inmates in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior Central Jail on Thursday celebrated the festival of ''Bhai Dooj'' with great fervour and enthusiasm.

Hundreds of women thronged the prison to be with their brothers to celebrate ''Bhai Dooj'' with them.

The women applied vermilion on their brother''s forehead and prayed for their safety. They also exchanged sweets on the occasion.

For the brothers serving sentences in the prison, the occasion provided a wonderful chance to be with their sisters.

"I''m very happy; it feels as if I''m at home with my family members and not in jail," said Chandra Prakash, an inmate serving life sentence.

"I''ve been waiting eagerly for this day, when I would get a chance to be with my brother on Bhai Dooj and celebrate the festival with him," said Archana Mishra, sister of an inmate.

The arrangements for the festival were made by the prison authorities, who took utmost care to ensure safety and security of the inmates and the visitors.

The authorities also made arrangements for the food and lodging of the visitors.

"We''ve made tight security arrangements for the day. Stringent checks are being conducted to prevent the entry of any object, which might cause harm to the inmates. We have also made arrangements for the food and lodging of the visitors, apart from providing medical facilities. The police are doing their best by conducting checks on the visitors," said K. P. Shrivastava, Prison Superintendent.

''Bhai Dooj'' is an important festival of the Hindus and is celebrated with great fervour in many parts of the country between brothers and sisters.

On this day, sisters apply vermilion on their brother''s forehead and pray for their long and healthy life, while the brothers bless their sisters and promise to protect them from all hardships in life. (ANI)