Raksha Bandhan

Raksha Bandhan is a Hindu festival occurring on the Purnima that is full moon day, of the month Shravan as per Hindu calendar, when women folks of the family tie a wrist band to their brothers seeking their blessings for their well-being. The brother who has this bondage to the Sister does everything good to the Sister, and this culture is nurtured from Idhihasic period in India.

Raksha Bandhan is a beautiful celebration, when girls and young women tie a band called Rakhi in the wrists of their brotherly kin, with good wishes to their wellbeing.  It is also referred as Rakhi Purnima, because this function occurs on a full moon day, which is Purnima in Sanskrit. In Odisha State, this celebration is called Gamha Purnima, when Cows and Bullocks are given bath, decorated and worshiped. In Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa region, this day is celebrated as Narali Purnima, by offering coconut to the Sea God, Varuna. In Uttarakhand State, particularly in Kumaon area, this day is observed as Jandhyam Purnima, requiring the traditional Brahmin and Kshatriya Hindus to change their sacred thread. In Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Jharkhand they celebrate Kajari Purnima, which is applicable to the women who are blessed with male progeny. In some part of Gujarat State, on this Purnima day, they observe a function called Pavitropana offering prayers to Lord Shiva.

In most of the States this is a Sacred thread changing day for Brahmins, called in varied names,  like Bengal celebrating Julan Purnima, while people of that caste in Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Konkan and Odisha, have ceremonial rituals to change their Sacred threads, the day is called Avani Avittam.

History

Earlier times, Rakhi Purnima was intended for wives tying Raksha Bandhan to their husbands, as reflected in Bhavishya Puran, when Indrani the consort of Indra tied Rakhi to him when he went for a war with the demons, praying for his safety and success.

In the same Puran, it is said that Goddess Lakshmi tied Raksha Bandhan in the wrist of Maha Bali, when Lord Vishnu was not found for quite some time, when he went to guard Maha Bali and Lakshmi was worried about the welfare of Narayan.

Mythology also conveys how Santoshi Ma was generated out of Riddhi and Siddhi, because Lord Ganesh’s sister tied Raksha Bandhan in his wrist.

It had been a different story with Mahabharat, in which it is told that Queen Kunti tied a Raksha Bandhan in the wrist of Abhimanyu, who was her Grandson, when the latter went for the war. Likewise, Draupadi once tied Raksha to Lord Krishna, upon which Krishna guarded her as her own brother at all times of distress and challenges to Draupadi.
There are legends conveying that Yamuna the Sister of  Lord Yama, the Deity for Death, tied Raksha Bandhan to her brother, moved by that sentiment Lord  Yama vowed to be kind to all those who have their Raksha Bandhan tied by their sisters.

As one goes through the anecdotes from History, one would find that ,Rajput queens used to send Rakhi threads to the Kings of neighboring States, implying that they are their sisters and no harm shall be done to their husbands in the form of wars. There is also a reference in the medieval times that Rani Karnavati, the queen widow of Chittoor, sent a Rakhi to the Mughal emperor Humayun seeking his support to her.

Another legend conveys that Roxana, the wife of Alexander the Great, sent Rakhi to the Katoch King Porus, which he tied in his wrist and when at the point of his raising his sword against Alexander, he noticed the Rakhi sent by his wife and refrained from killing him.

In modern times, Nobel Laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore interpreted Raksha Bandhan is for universal unity, not necessarily for uniting Brothers and Sisters only by such bondage.

Rituals of the Day

All the rituals and ceremonies relating to Rakhi Purnima or Raksha Bandhan go with renewal and refreshment of relationship and bondage.

In most of the parts of the country, nowadays girls secure colorful Raksha material to tie on the wrist of those they consider as their brothers, and this practice is building up a healthy relationship among youngsters.

Likewise, the families which practice the Raksha Bandhan ceremony on this day, give up all differences from that day onwards, begin a new year and new life then on.

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