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Raksha Bandhan |
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Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi is a festival meant to sweeten the ties of brother and sister. It usually falls in late August. The main ritual consists of tying the 'Rakhi' (which may be a colorful thread, a simple bracelet, or a decorative string) on to a brother's wrist. 'Raksha Bandhan' literally means 'Bond of protection' and implies that while the sister prays to God for the well being and prosperity of her brother, the brother vows to protect her against all the evils of the world and help her in all the problems. On this day, sisters bathe early and wear new clothes. They do not eat or drink anything until they perform the 'aarti' of their brothers wishing the best for him, adorn their heads with red vermillion 'tikka', tie Rakhi on his wrist and sweeten their mouths with special prepared sweets and delicacies.
Brothers on the other hand, give token gifts in kind or cash to their brothers and pledge to be their protector forever. The festival seeks to celebrate the affectionate ties between siblings of opposite sex. Raksha bandhan or the festival of 'rakhi' also asserts the ties of married women with their natal homes and that their brothers are still there for her assistance.
It is believed that when a woman ties a Rakhi around the hand of a man it becomes obligatory for him to honor his religious duty and protect her. Traditional stories state that Rakhis are blessed with sacred verses and are encompassed by them. Sometimes Rakhis are consecrated in rice and grass before they are given, and are traditionally tied by people familiar with the Vedas. Following these customs the Rakhi is believed to remove sin from one hand and provide safety to the other. The protection offered by a Rakhi is believed to remain for a year.
As the Rakhi is tied, a prayer or Mantra is recited. The silken thread is charged with the power of the Mantra, which is as follows:
Yena baddho balee raajaa daanavendro mahaabalah;
Tena twaam anubadhnaami rakshey maa chala maa chala.
"I am tying on your hand this Raksha, with which the most powerful and generous King Bali himself was bound; O Raksha, don’t go away; don’t go away."
RAKSHA BANDHAN is called Avani Avittam in South India. This falls on the full moon day of the month of Sravan (August-September). It is an important Hindu festival. Hindus wear a new holy thread and offer libations of water to the ancient Rishis on this day.
Recitation of the Vedas on this great day is highly beneficial. This festival is also known as Upakarmam, and is specially sacred to the Brahmins, who have been invested with the sacred thread.
When a Brahmin boy is invested with this thread, symbolically his third eye, or the eye of wisdom, is opened. The holy festival of Upakarmam reminds one who wears the sacred thread of its glorious spiritual significance. Brahmins also offer libations of water to their ancestors, to whom they owe their birth; to the great Rishis, to whom they are highly indebted for their spiritual knowledge; and to the Vedas themselves. The true Hindu never forgets his benefactors!
The followers of the four different Vedas have their Upakarmam on different days.
History:
Vritra-Indra
According to the Mahabharata, Yudhishthira, the eldest of the Pancha Pandyava (the five brothers belonging to the family of king Pandu), asked Sri Krishna, an incarnation of lord Vishnu, how best he could guard himself against impending evils and catastrophes in the coming year. Krishna advised him to observe the Rakshaa Ceremony. He also narrated an old incident to show how potent the Rakshaa is. It went like this.
Once, Indra, the king of heaven was confronted by the demon king - the Daitya-raaja - in a long-drawn battle. At one stage, the Daitya-raaja got better of Indra and drove him into wilderness. Indra, humbled and crest-fallen, sought the advice of Brihaspati, the Guru of Gods. The Guru told him to bide his time, prepare himself and then take on the mighty demon. He also indicated that the auspicious moment for sallying forth was the Shraavana Poornima. On that day, Shachee Devi, the wife of Indra, accompanied by Brihaspati tied Raakhi around Indra's right-wrist. Indra then advanced against the Daitya-raaja, vanquished him and reestablished his sovereignty.
This is how Raksha Bandhan came into being in the ages of old Hindu mythology and has transcended into the modern ages acquiring more of new and modified customs with itself.
Another incident is the one that concerns Krishna and Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas.
She had torn a strip of silk off her sari and tied it around Krishna's wrist to stop the flow of blood Krishna was so touched by her action that he found himself bound to her by love. He promised to repay the debt and then spent the next 25 years doing just that. Draupadi in spite of being married to 5 great warriors and being a daughter of a powerful monarch only trusted and depended wholly on Krishna.
King Bali and Goddess Lakshmi
According to another legend the Demon King Bali was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu had taken up the task to guard his kingdom leaving his own abode in Vaikunth. Goddess Lakshmi wished to be with her lord back in her abode. She went to Bali disguised as a Brahmin woman to seek refuge till her husband came back.
During the Shravan Purnima celebrations, Lakshmi tied the sacred thread to the King. Upon being asked she revealed who she was and why she was there. The king was touched by her goodwill for his family and her purpose and requested the Lord to accompany her. He sacrificed all he had for the Lord and his devoted wife.
Thus the festival is also called Baleva that is Bali Raja's devotion to the Lord. It is said that since then it has been a tradition to invite sisters in Shravan Purnima for the thread tying ceremony or the Raksha Bandhan.
Yama and the Yamuna
According to another legend, Raksha Bandhan was a ritual followed by Lord Yama (the Lord of Death) and his sister Yamuna.
Yamuna tied Rakhi to Yama and bestowed immortality. Yama was so moved by the serenity of the occasion that he declared that whoever gets a Rakhi tied from his sister and promised her protection will become immortal.
- Rani Karnawati and Emperor Humayun
During the medieval era, Rajputs were fighting Muslim invasions. Rakhi at that time meant a spiritual binding and protection of sisters was foremost. A famous incident relates how rakhi by then had broken the religious barriers.
When Rani Karnawati the widowed queen of the king of Chittor realized that she could in no way defend the invasion of the Sultan of Gujarat, Bahadur Shah, she sent a Rakhi to Emperor Humayun. The Emperor touched by the gesture started off with his troops without wasting any time.
- King Puru and King Alexander’s Wife
The oldest reference to the festival of Rakhi goes back to 300 B.C. at the time when Alexander invaded India.
It is said that the great conqueror, King Alexander of Macedonia was shaken by the fury of the Indian king Puru in his first attempt. Upset by this, Alexander's wife, who had heard of the Rakhi festival, approached King Puru. King Puru accepted her as his sister and when the opportunity came during the war, he refrained from Alexander.
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