Paris Olympics bronze medalist Manu Bhaker celebrates Raksha Bandhan with family and a fun cooking session

India’s star shooter Manu Bhaker celebrated Raksha Bandhan at home on August 19, Monday, bringing a special touch to the festivities. The 22-year-old Olympian, who recently won two bronze medals at the Paris Olympics 2024, spent the day with her family, sharing a glimpse of her celebrations on Instagram.

In one of her stories, Bhaker shared a heartwarming picture with her brother, showcasing their bond on this special occasion.

Manu with her brother, Image by Manu Bhaker/ Instagram

But the day wasn’t just about the rakhi ceremony. Manu Bhaker also gave her fans a peek into her off-time activities, revealing that she’s been spending time in the kitchen, learning to cook under her mother’s guidance.

Posting a video of herself trying out her culinary skills, she captioned it humorously.

"Chutti ka sahi istemal krte hue maa ki classes (Making the right use of my holidays with classes from mother)." the caption read.

Manu cooking during Rakhi celebrations, Image by Manu Bhaker/ Instagram

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Manu Bhaker shares well-deserved break and holiday plans

After an intense Olympic campaign, where she narrowly missed a podium finish in the 25m pistol event after winning two bronze medals, Manu Bhaker has decided to take a well-deserved three-month break. However, the break is far from ordinary.

Bhaker, known for her relentless dedication, plans to maintain a disciplined routine during her time off.

Despite stepping away from the shooting range, Manu will continue her early morning rituals, including yoga and her 6 a.m. wake-up call—a habit she admits she isn’t particularly fond of but remains committed to. This break also offers her the opportunity to reconnect with some of her long-lost hobbies.

Additionally, she has been learning Bharatnatyam, although her training schedule in France had left little time for her dance classes. Now, with more time on her hands, she hopes to dive back into this classical dance form, with guidance from her instructor in Tamil Nadu. She also plans to pick up her violin again, a hobby she had to set aside while preparing for the Olympics.

"Now that I have some time off, I can probably get back into martial arts, I hadn’t had the time to invest in it, but now I can pursue my many hobbies—horse riding, which I love, skating, which I still enjoy on the roads, and fitness, which I really enjoy," Manu said while speaking to PTI.

"I’m also learning Bharatnatyam, but training in France left me with little time to keep up with my classes, and then there’s the violin," she added.