RAKSHA BANDHAN
Introduction:- It is a festival of an unconditional love and faith between brothers and sisters. It is also known as Rakhi, Rakhi Purnima, Kajari Purnima, Rakhrri, etc. in different places of India. It is a festival of joys and emotions of brothers and sisters. It is celebrated in many parts of India. On this day sisters buy Rakhi (a decorative thread) for their brothers with a deep affection. And the brothers also buy gifts for their sisters.
Rakhi
Meaning and Significance:- Raksha Bandhan
refers to a Bond of protection. It is a very sacred bond between a girl and a
boy as the brother and sister, in which sisters put a Tilak on the forehead of
her brother and make Arti and pray for their long life and then ties a
decorative thread on their right wrist (this thread is called as Rakhi). And in
return brothers make the promise of her respect and protection forever. Thus,
it is a knot of protection, which has an amazing power to create a sacred
relationship of love, faith, respect and protection. It creates a
responsibility on a brother to put all of his possible efforts to make her
sister happy and safe in all circumstances. And this responsibility is equally
bind to the sisters also to help her brother from all tests of life. So, it is
a festival of promise from both brother and sister to each other.
Date of celebration:- It is
a Hindu festival, so, celebrated every year as per the Hindu calendar in the
month of Shravan, on the day of full moon (Purnima). In this year it is
celebrating on date – 22.08.2021. Below is a list of dates for celebrating the
festival of Raksha Bandhan in next five years:
|
Year |
Day |
Date |
|
2022 |
Thursday |
11, August |
|
2023 |
Wednesday |
30, August |
|
2024 |
Monday, |
19, August |
|
2025 |
Saturday |
09, August |
|
2026 |
Friday |
28, August |
Time of Celebration:- It is
a celebration of whole day. So the Rakhi can be tie at any time of the day. But
as per the Hindu Panchang in this year the auspicious time for tying the Rakhi
is ranges in between the 5.45 AM in the morning to 6.05 PM in the evening.
Raksha Bandhan
History:- Raksha
Bandhan has a long history. There are many different assumptions or stories or
mythologies about the origins of the festival of Raksha Bandhan. It is believed
that this is a very old tradition and celebrated since the eras of kings and
emperors. During the wars, a thread was tied on the wrist of king’s soldiers by
the village ladies with the belief that it will keep them safe. With the
passage of time it became a festival and a normal thread is now converted into
a decorative thread, called as Rakhi. There is not any written proof about the
history of Raksha Bandhan but some most common stories are as below (different
historians may have different approaches for these stories:-
(1) Lord Sri Krishna and Dropadi :- According
to an assumption its roots are belong to an ancient Indian epic- Mahabharata.
According to it during a war between Sri Krishna and an evil king Shishupal,
when Sri Krishna killed the king Shishupal with their Sudarshan Chakra (a
divine weapon of Sri Krishna), then the Lord Sri Krishna also got hurt in the
finger by their own Sudarshan chakra. The Dropadi came to Sri Krishna and tied
a piece of cloth of her saree on the wound of finger of Sri Krishna. And in
return Sri Krishna called her as their sister and promises to protect her from
all evils and troubles come against her in future. As a result, at the time of
Dropadi’s ‘cheerharan efforts’ made by Koravs, the Lord Sri Krishna increased
her Cheer (i.e. saree) and protect her respect. From that time sisters ties a
thread on the wrist of their brothers and in return brothers make promise to do
their respect and to protect them from all troubles in their life.
Sri Krishna
(2) King Bali and Lord Vishnu:- According to another
old story there was a King, whose name was Bali. He was very powerful monster
king and has number of divine and monster powers. But he was also had a
generous and kind heart. He was very big devotee of Lord Vishnu. He was the son
of the monster King Virochana and the grandson of the devotee Prahlada. During
the “Brainstorm of Sea” (Samundra Manthan), he forcefully acquired the Amrita
(nectar of eternal life). With its power he become invincible and had won whole
earth and sky/heaven. The Gods of Heaven went to Lord Vishnu for help.
During a yagya
(worship/devotion of God) by the king Bali, the Lord Vishnu came in a Brahmin
Avatar (i.e. in the disguise of a lay devotee of God) in the palace of the King
Bali. The Brahmin (i.e. the Lord Vishnu) demands the three steps of land as the
donation from him. The Bali was unaware that he is not anyone else but the Lord
Vishnu himself. In spite of the warning from the monster teacher Shukracharya,
he promises to fulfill their (Brahmin’s) demand. And then the Lord Vishnu came
into a very huge form. They measured the whole earth and sky in their two steps
only. Now the king realized that they are Lord Vishnu himself. He fell down to
the Lord’s feet and request to the God that forgive me, now I have no place
left for your third step, so kindly kept your third step on my head. Then as
the boon/blessings of the God, the King Bali requests the God to come with him
in Abysm (pataal) and live there forever. On this the Lord Vishnu went to the
abysm with him and stays there.
The Goddess Laxmi went to
abysm in the disguise of a poor lady to bring the Lord back to the Baikunth
(i.e. place of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Laxmi). She tied a thread on the wrist
of King Bali. With this the king told her that for me this is not a normal
thread, it bind me in an unbreakable relationship, from now you are my sister,
demands whatever you want from me. On this the poor lady told that I want the
Lord Vishnu, I came here only to get them with me. Now the King Bali realized
that she is not a normal lady, she is Mother Laxmi herself. He touches their
feet and let them to take the Lord Vishnu with them. From that time the Rakhi
became a power to bind the men and ladies in the auspicious relationship of
brothers and sisters. And now it is celebrate every year as a festival.
 |
| Humayun |
(3) Emperor ‘Humayun’ and a widow queen ‘Karnavati’:- Another
story for the origin of Rakhi is belongs to the emperor Nasir-Ud-Din-Muhammad
(popularly known as the Humayun) and the Queen Karnavati. The Humayun was a
Mughal Emperor and he was the son of the Emperor Babur. On the other hand the
Queen (Rani) Karnawati was the wife of Rana Sanga of Chittorgarh. After the death
of Rana Sanga she took up the regency of Chittor.
 |
| Queen Karnavati |
When the Bahadur shah of Gujarat was
come to Attack on Chittor, the Queen Karnawati wrote a letter for help to the
Emperor Humayun. Along with the letter she also sent a thread for him. Although
the Humayun was an Islamic Emperor yet was greatly affected by the emotions for
the thread. He tied that on his wrist and shows his respect for the Queen
Karnawati and also come forward to help her as a brother. This is believed that
since then this tradition of tying a thread on the wrist of brother by the
sister is celebrating as the festival of Raksha Bandhan.
Conclusion:- Raksha
Bandhan means a bond of safety. It is a 'knot of protection' and a celebration
of heartwarming emotions of brothers and sisters. It is a festival of promise
to keep his sister safe and happy for whole life and protect her from all
troubles of life. Although it is difficult to guess its origin, yet it is
celebrated with a great passion and will be celebrate for eternity in future.
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