Raksha Bandhan............
Every festival reflects a bond between particular relationships. And one of such festivals, which show the bond and love between brother and sister, is ‘RAKSHA BANDHAN’. And when it comes to Indian festivals the celebration is even louder and more enjoyable. The festival named ‘Raksha Bandhan’ is celebrated in the month of Shravan which falls in August; it brings special magic of bond and love between brother and sister.
The Bond Between Brother and Sister
A brother and sister share the most amazing bond ever. We share our joys and fears with our siblings and there are some cute activities that most of us commit together. A sibling is the best friend who is always by your side, what comes by.
- Your brother or sister can be your best friend. Your sibling can be the best person you have by your side.
- The competition between siblings helps bring out the best in us. We always try to outperform one another and this brings out hidden talent.
- A good brother and sister relationship teaches us to love, care and share.
- The sibling love shared by brother and sister is irreplaceable.
- Siblings are always quite protective of one another.
- The relationship between the brother and sister often remains the same even after years have passed by.
Festival Celebration
This festival is celebrated as the symbol of love and responsibility for a brother to his sister and for a sister to her brother. This festival also brings people into brother and sister relationships that are not biologically related. Raksha Bandhan does not only mean tying rakhi to siblings instead it is also celebrated between cousins and other people who want to cherish the relationship between brother and sister.
Sisters pray for the health, well-being, and flourishing life of their brothers. And in return, brothers promise to protect their sisters in any situation all through life.
On this auspicious day, the brother and sister start the day with joy. They get ready wearing new clothes and then they sit together. The sister ties a bracelet called ‘RAKHI’ around the wrists of her brother. She offers him, sweets, to eat and gets a return gift from his brother.
This festival is celebrated not only in Hindu culture but in many other religions. Also, it is celebrated not only in India but few more countries like Nepal, Pakistan, and Mauritius. In Sikhism, it is celebrated as ‘Rakhardi’ or ‘Rakhari’.
Stories behind Celebrating Raksha Bandhan
This festival is celebrated for centuries before and it is also mentioned in Hindu mythology as:
Goddess Lakshmi and King Bali
According to Vishnu Purana, when the king of Demons ‘Bali’ was told to ask for a boon from Lord Vishnu then he asked him to stay with him in his palace. The Lord accepted the request and started to live in his palace with him. Goddess Lakshmi, wife of Lord Vishnu wanted him to return to his palace. Then she tied the rakhi around the wrist of the Bali and became his sister. The Bali asked for a return gift, and then goddess Lakshmi asked him to free lord Vishnu and let him return to his place Vaikunth. Bali accepted the request and returned lord Vishnu to him.
Draupadi and Krishna
According to the epic book Mahabharata, once Draupadi tied a Knot around Krishna’s wrist and considered him as her brother, also Kunti tied a knot around Abhimanyu’s wrist before the war to protect him.
Emperor Humayun and Rani karnawati
Rana Sanga, the king of Mewar, after his death, his wife was running the kingdom of Mewar in the name of her elder son Vikramajeet. But Bahadur shah the ruler of Gujarat attacked and defeated Vikramajeet. Then the Queen had to reach out to her nobles for support. Then she also wrote a letter seeking help along with a ‘rakhi’ to Emperor Humayun, who was having enemy relations with Mewar in the past. And he accepted her as his sister and marched to help her. He could not save her but he defeated Bahadur shah and restored Vikramajeet as the king of the kingdom.
Conclusion
Raksha Bandhan is one of the ancient festivals which were also celebrated by gods and goddesses. It has its own significance and importance. It is a festival of exchanging plenty of love and the purest form of feeling among sisters and brothers.
“Happy Raksha Bandhan”
