Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi is one of the most popular festivals in the Hindu culture. The main motive of the festival is to develop a good bond between two people. The festival was first started to make a better understanding among the people of different caste, creed, and to create a better society. The literal meaning of the phrase Raksha Bandhan is an attachment of security.
After a few years of the beginning of Raksha Bandhan, the people of the society have given the festival a new purpose. It is now observed between the brother and sisters. In Hindu culture, the relationship between brothers and sisters is very pure and unique. To maintain the goodness in their relationship, Raksha Bandhan is observed.
Worth to mention, in recent years, along with the Hindus, every Indian with other religion celebrates the festival happily. According to Indian mythology, Raksha is to be celebrated on a specific day. The day has to be a full moon day in August (most precisely in the month of Shravana) Hindus consider the full moon day to be very auspicious.
The knot that sisters tie in their brother’s hand is for wishing their long life. On the other hand, the brothers take the vow of protecting their sister in every difficult situation
Background history of Raksha Bandhan
The festival of Raksha Bandhan traces a great significance in Indian mythology. There are several mythological tales regarding this pure festival. The most promising is the tale of deity Yamuna and Yam. It is believed that the deity Yamuna used to tie a thread on the hand of her brother yam to show her love every Shravana Purnima which is the full moon day in the month of August. The god of death Yam was extremely impressed by her sister’s deed. So, he made a declaration that if any person would tie a thread at his hand he will be immortalized.
There is another tale from Mahabharata regarding the Raksha Bandhan. During the war between Krishna and Sishupal, Krishna got an injury on his wrist which was bleeding severely. At that moment, Draupadi tore a piece of cloth and tied on his wrist. It is another instance of celebrating Raksha Bandhan. In the history of Indian mythology, all these incidents show deep love and respect between brothers and sisters.
Who first celebrated the Raksha Bandhan and why
The festival was first started by the Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in 1905. At that time, India was suffering from the bondage of British rule. The main motto of celebrating the Raksha Bandhan is to strengthen the unity between the Indians to fight against the British. In 1905, the British ruler stated to divide Bengal. To halt the partition and to increase the friendship between the Hindu and Muslim communities, the great poet Rabindranath Tagore started the festival. The festival got a grand success at that time. People all over the street stretch their hands to tie rakhi to others. The huge response frightened the rulers. They understood, it is impossible to separate the Hindus from the Muslims. At that moment, the poet was successful in enhancing the relationship between the Hindu and Muslim. Once again Raksha Bandhan proves its value of maintaining the brotherhood.
Following the incident, the festival has become a must-celebrate and one of the most popular festivals in India. Apart from India, several other countries that have Hindu residence grandly celebrate the event
Raksha Bandhan Celebration
Raksha Bandhan celebration is extremely simple and exciting. The festival highlights care and love that every brother and sister feels for each other. However, as mentioned earlier, Raksha Bandhan is celebrated every year in the Purnima (full moon day) in Shravana. Along with the date, the time of celebrating the festival is also essential to keep in mind. The festival should never take place after sunset. It is better to tie the knot in the afternoon. There is again a mythological significance behind this rue. The community believes that during Shravana, several negative energy hovers around after sunset, which might leave a negative impression on the purity of the festival.
There are few simple rituals regarding the Raksha Bandhan festival. On the full moon day, both the brother and sister have to appear on new clothes after taking a shower. The festival is mainly celebrated inside the home in the presence of all the family members. The custom includes an aarti thali that contains a lit lamp, tilak, sweet items, and the rakhi. The sister has to perform the aarti by hovering the thali three times before the brother. During the performance of the aarti, the sister prays for the long life and sound health of their brother. After that, she marks the tilak on the forehead of her brother. Then the major custom of tying rakhi takes place. After the rakhi tying event, the brother takes the reasonability of his sister’s protection. The beautiful even ends with offering sweets.
After that comes the most exciting part of the festival which is the exchanging of gifts, it has become an integral part of the festival. The brother offers their love by presenting their sisters with several gifts. In recent years, the sisters offer their gift to the brothers as well. This how the beautiful festival ends
Significance of celebrating Raksha Bandhan
The main concept of the festival is showing love and offering protection. The festival symbolizes unending love, respect, care, and friendship. In Hindu culture, tying a holy thread on any part of the body is considered to be pure and sacred. When the famous poet Rabindranath Tagore first started the festival, it was not confined between brothers and sisters. It was for every individual. In recent days youngsters are bringing back the old custom to some extent. Reports state that these days the youth are celebrating the festival among friends and family. The message of the festival is to enhance the relationship between the individual. The festival brings people closer and maintains harmony among them. As a result, people can establish a more civilized, trustworthy, and pure society.
