Raksha Bandhan

Raksha Bandhan celebrates the strong bond between brother and sister. The word Raksha Bandhan means “bond of protection”. Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi is an occasion which celebrates the deep bonding of brother and sister. On this occasion sisters tie Rakhi or a sacred thread on brother's a very important custom of that day. Raksha Bandhan is celebrated with great zeal in all over India. The festival of Raksha Bandhan symbolize the love between sister and brother. The day is of great importance in the life of every Indian. After accepting the Rakhi from sister he in return gives a gift whereas sisters pray for her brother's well being. Family get together and family feasting are the other Traditions of Raksha Bandhan.

Raksha Bandhan is one of the important festivals of India. The meaning that the day carries cannot explained in words.

The festival is often celebrated during the month of August. The day is usually the full moon day of the Hindu month Shravan. History of Raksha Bandhan is very old, the Indian history states that Maratha and Rajputh Queens who use to send Rakhi to the Mughal Kings who in turn promised protection of their sisters in critical moments. The Rakhi tied on brother's wrist is not merely a thread but it is a thread that is stronger than an iron thread which symbolizes the deepest love and bond between brother and sister.

Raksha Bandhan is a sacred festival which is celebrated for the strong bond that lies between brothers and sisters. This festival is of great importance for every Indian as they celebrate this day with immense enthusiasm and fervor. It is the celebration of the bond of deep love that the two share with each other despite their silly fights. The words Raksha Bandhan means ‘bond of protection’ as according to the tradition, a sacred thread is tied on the wrist of the brother by the sister as a symbol of his protection. After accepting rakhi from the sister, the brother then gives a return rakhi gift to his sister, and he too makes a silent vow to protect her.

Raksha Bandhan is celebrated in the Shravan month of the Hindu calendar on the full moon day which in Hindi is called Purnima. Hence, the festival also goes by the name of Rakhi Purnima or Shravan Purnima in some regions of India.

Significance and History of Raksha Bandhan
There are lots of stories in our Hindu mythology that tells us about the importance of an ordinary thread holding the power to provide protection to our loved ones. According to these stories, a thread was tied to anyone, not only to brothers for the protection. There is a story of Indra and Indrani which took place during the Vedic period. During a battle against the nefarious demons, Indra was losing the battle and had fallen weak. Her companion Indrani who was worried about her husband prayed to the gods for his protection. She then tied a sacred thread on the Indra’s wrist for protection. This mere thread protected the God of the Sky from the attacks of the evil and in the end bagged victory for him.

Another story is of a brother and sister pair, Yama and Yamuna. They were the kids of Lord Surya, the Sun god. He was married to Saranyu who could not bear the radiation of her husband. So, she fled back to her father, leaving her twin named Chhaya and kept this a secret from everyone. Yama was aware of this secret and threatened Chhaya to disclose this secret to his father as she always ill-treated both the brothers and sisters. Chhaya, out of range and anger, cursed Yama of death and mutilation. Yamuna who loved her brother very much, tied a sacred thread of protection against the curse to her brother who was saved. This story is another story signifying that Rakhi is not just a simple thread, but a thread of protection.

How is Raksha Bandhan Celebrated?
The traditional way of celebrating Raksha Bandhan is to tie a rakhi on the wrist of the brother for protection. All the family members get up early in the morning and take a bath to clean their own self. Then, they do the aarti of the gods and start the rakhi ceremony. In the ceremony, the sister ties a rakhi on the wrist of her brother while praying to the gods for his protection. Then, she feeds a sweet to him and her brother gives him a return rakhi gift. The brother also makes a silent oath to protect her doting sister from the evils. After this rakhi tying ceremony ends, the family then have a scrumptious meal together.

Today, this festival is celebrated not just between brothers and sisters, but also between friends and other family members. Since India is diverse in culture and tradition, there is a variety of ways in which Raksha Bandhan is celebrated in every region in the nation. In the Marwari community of Rajasthan, sisters tie rakhi to their brothers as well as sisters ties lumba rakhi on the bangle of her sister-in-law. In some regions of Maharashtra, people celebrate this day as Nariyal Purnima when they worship the god of the Sea, Lord Varuna by offering coconuts to him. Similarly, there are lots of other regions which celebrate this day in their own unique way.

Raksha Bandhan Timings
Raksha Bandhan is celebrated on the full moon day of the Shravan Month of the Hindu calendar. According to the English calendar, this festival in celebrated in the month of August. This time, Raksha Bandhan will be celebrated on 15th August, 2021. Following are the auspicious timings of celebrating this festival: