Raksha Bandhan: Celebration of the sacred bond between brother and sister

By Eugene DSouza, Moodubelle
Bellevision Media Network

13 August 2011: Among many festivals in India, Raksha Bandhan or ‘Rakhi’ is one of the significant festivals that is being celebrated on the auspicious full moon day during the Shravan month. This year the festival falls on Saturday, August 13, 2011. This festival symbolizes a sister’s love for her brother, and brother’s life-long vow to protect his sister. ‘Raksha Bandhan’ literally means ‘bond of protection’ that signifies the responsibility of brothers to protect their sisters. On the day of the Raksha Bandhan, a sister ties a decorative thread called ‘Rakhi’ on the wrists of her brother. In return, he gives her money, sweets, and other gifts.

 

Preparations for the Raksha Bandhan festival begin many days in advance. Rakhis of different types and colours go on display and in various shops which the sisters purchase for the occasion. On the day of Rakshabandhan, young girls and married women dress up in their festive best, prepare the pooja thali with lamp, rice, roli, sweets and Rakhi thread and look forward to the beautiful occasion when they get an opportunity to share the warmth and love with their beloved brother.  After a brief prayer, sisters tie the Rakhi on the wrist of their brothers and pray for his well-being and happiness. In return, brothers offer gifts to their sisters and promise to stand by them through good or bad times.

 

For those brothers and sisters who are not able to meet each other, the modern communication system has offered ways and means to celebrate this festival. There are Rakhi Cards, E-Rakhis and Rakhis through mails which keep the spirit of Raksha Bandhan alive.

 

It is important to note that like most of the Indian festivals, Raksha Bandhan also traces its origin to stories and legends. Some of these stories can be traced back to Indian mythology and even the puranic times. 

 

Raksha Bandhan is referred to in the epic of Mahabharata when Lord Krishna advised Yudhishthir to perform the ceremony to protect himself and his people from war. There is the example of  Kunti , mother of the Pandvas tying a Rakhi  to her grandson Abhimanyu and Draupadi tying  a Rakhi on the wrist of Lord Krishna. 

 

In the Bhavishya Puran there is a tale about the war that took place between the demons and the gods. During the  gods lead by Indra were about to face defeat. In this crisis, Indra visited Guru Brihaspati to seek a solution and Brihaspati asked Indra to tie a sacred thread on his wrist which would evoke powers by sacred mantras on Shravan Purnima. It was this sacred thread that lead Indra to victory. 

 

According to another legend, Demon King Bali was an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu who had assumed responsibility to guard his kingdom leaving his own abode in Vaikunth.  Goddess Laxmi  who wanted to be with Vishnu went to Bali in disguise to seek refuge till her husband returned. She tied the sacred thread of Rakhi to the Bali during the Shravan Purnima and also disclosed who she was and her reason for being there. The king was moved by this gesture of goodwill and her concern for her family and decided to sacrifice his needs for Lord Vishnu and Godess Lakshmi. 

 

Though the Raksha Bandhan festival originated in north and  western India, gradually it spread to other parts of the country and even abroad among Indian communities. It was Rabindranath Tagore who first popularized the Raksha Bandhan festival or Rakhi Utsav  to promote the feeling of unity and a commitment to all members of society to protect each other and encourage a harmonious social life.

 

Previously, Raksha Bandhan was meant to celebrate the affection shared between the brothers and sisters. However, in modern times the significance of Raksha Bandhan goes way beyond it. Some people tie Rakhi to neighbours and close friends signifying a peaceful co-existence of every individual. It has been a common practice of school children tying Rakhi to the Prime Minister of India. Similarly, women tie Rakhis to the armed and police personnel to as they are responsible for the protection of the citizens and the nation. Members belonging to different religious communities also tie Rakhi to each other to promote a sense of unity and brotherhood which is the need of the time.