Raksha Bandhan
Raksha
Bandhan, also abbreviated to Rakhi, is the Hindu festival that celebrates
brotherhood and love. It
is celebrated on the full moon in the month of Sravana in the lunar calendar.
The word Raksha means protection, whilst Bandhan is the verb to tie.
Raksha Bandhan is an auspicious festival marked annually to
celebrate the meaningful bonds we share with our siblings. Traditionally,
sisters tie Rakhi on their brother's wrists and wish they have a prosperous,
happy, and fulfilling life. In return, the brothers promise to protect and love
their sisters unconditionally. However, in recent times, brothers have also
started tying Rakhis on their sister's hands, and sisters also tie the holy
band on each other's wrists with the same promise to protect and love each
other. Additionally, siblings exchange gifts on this day and pamper each other
with their favorite things.
Raksha Bandhan Rituals
The Raksha Bandhan
festival involves several rituals. On this day, the sister
performs her brother's aarti and prays for his long life. Then, she ties a
Rakhi on his wrist, puts tilak on his forehead, and feeds him sweets. Brothers
show their affection by giving their sister a gift or money.
According to Drik Panchang, traditionally, the afternoon is
considered the most auspicious time to celebrate Raksha Bandhan. However, if it
is not suitable due to Bhadra, the rituals are performed after it is over.
Raksha Bandhan
festival with married women
The bride marries out of her natal village or
town, and her parents by custom do not visit her in her married home. In
rural north India, where village exogamy is strongly prevalent, large numbers
of married Hindu women travel back to their parents' homes every year for the
ceremony. Their brothers, who typically live with their parents or nearby,
sometimes travel to their sisters' married home to escort them back. Many
younger married women arrive a few weeks earlier at their natal homes and stay
until the ceremony. The brothers serve as lifelong intermediaries between
their sisters' married and parental homes, as well as potential stewards
of their security.
In urban India, where families are
increasingly nuclear, the festival has become more symbolic but continues
to be highly popular. The rituals associated with this festival have spread
beyond their traditional regions and have been transformed through technology
and migration. Other factors that have played a role are: the
movies,social interaction, and promotion by politicized Hinduism,as well
as by the nation state.
Among females and males who are not blood
relatives, , the act of tying the rakhi amulets has given
rise to the tradition of voluntary kin relations, which has
sometimes cut across lines of caste, class, and religion. Authority
figures have been included in such a ceremony.
Raksha
Bandhan in Mahabharat
The story of Raksha Bandhan has
related today to Hindu mythology and the Hindu epic Mahabharata. Once Lord Krishna cut his finger, Draupadi tied a piece of cloth from
her saree, which stopped the bleeding.
Raksha bandhan is also mentioned in
mahabharat. Dharmaraj or yudhistria. The elder brother among pandavas, asked lord
Krishna to refer him a ritual to protect himself, his family and army from
dangerous acts of kauravas and kaurav
sena( the army of Kauravas). On Shravan purnima, Yudhishtira performed a puja
and tied a sacred thread on to his hand.
Mahabharata is also mentioned
about the Rakhi festival or Raksha bandhan celebrated by Draupadi or panchali.
Draupadi tied Rakshi to Lord krishan and when darpadi was in trouble with
kauravas Krishna protected him.
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