The Indian festival Raksha Bandhan celebrates one of the most powerful human emotions, the love between a brother and sister. Raksha Bandhan is about the affection, admiration, fondness and respect in this sibling relationship. This festival takes place on the day of the full moon in the hindu month of Shravan, which is usually in the month of August. This year Raksha Bandhan is celebrated on August 16, 2008.
On this auspicious day the sisters tie a holy thread called a rakhi, which means the bond of protection, around her brother’s right wrist. The rakhi signifies the promise that the brother will protect his sister from all harm and a prayer from the sister to protect her brother from evil. On this special day brothers and sisters reach out the extra distance to strengthen their relationship. Although Raksha Bandhan is now considered to be a brother-sister festival this was not always true. There have been occasions in the past when a rakhi was tied to signify the strong bond between a mother and child, friends, and even wife and husband. On a global level the rakhi is a symbol of the affection and compassion shared between people.
Like most Hindu festivals, the origin of the Raksha Bandhan is rooted in Hindu mythology. The rakhi was significant when Lord Krishna had cut his finger after Shishupal’s death. To stop the wound from bleeding Draupadi, a wife of the Pandavas, tore a silk strip from her sari and tied it around Krishna’s wrist. Immensely touched by the action, Krishna vowed to protect Drapaudi from harm and did just so. As well in the epic Mahabharata, Krishna had avised his cousin, Yudhistthir to tie a rakhi around his wrist to guard himself from injury. Indra, king of the devtas, had also been given a rakhi from his wife on occasion to protect him in battle.
The tying of the rakhi has also been of importance with past political ties between kingdoms. An example of this was when King Porus, a Hindu king, had refrained from going to war with Alexander, the Great. This was because Alexander’s wife had gone to king Porus and tied a rakhi around his wrist asking him not to hurt her husband.
Raksha Bandhan is an important festival throughout India and on this day many different rituals or customs take place in certain regions. The festival is commonly known as simply Rakhi or Kajri Purnima in North India. On this day, all the seeds are sown for the new crop year so northern agriculturalists also worship Goddess Bhagwati for her blessings. In Western India this day is celebrated as Nariyal Purnima. A coconut or nariyal is offered to the sea in reverence to Lord Varuna (god of the sea). Nariyal Purnima is also the start of the fishing season which is of great importance to those who make a living from the sea. In South India this day is also known as Avani Avittum or Upakarnam which is significant to the Brahmin community since it marks the start of their Vedic studies.
Today Raksha Bandhan is celebrated through certain rituals practiced by both brother and sister with great zeal and enthusiasm. To start the day off the sister and brother wear special new clothes to commemorate the occasion. The sister usually prepares a rakhi thali (plate), which has roli and rice used for the tilak (paste marked on the forehead), a diya (tealight candle) for the prayers, sweets as an offering and the rakhi. Once ready the sister will apply the tilak to her brother’s forehead, recite prayers and then tie the rakhi around his wrist. While tying the rakhi the sister chants the following verse or mantra:
"Yena baddho Balee raajaa daanavendro mahaabalah
tena twaam anubadhnaami rakshe maa chala maa chala"
which means:
"I am tying a Rakhi on you, like the one on mighty demon king Bali. Be firm, O Rakhi, do not falter."
Once this has been completed the sister fondly feeds her brother the sweets and in return her brother pampers her with gifts. And through this ceremony brothers and sisters honor their everlasting bond.
So make this August 16, a day to renew old and embrace new relationships whether it be friends, family or even sibling with unique Raksha Bandhan Gifts.
