Raksha Bandhan: Celebrating An Eternal Sibling Bond

By Author: Shubhangi Dubey
Total Articles: 1
Comment this article

India is a country of festivals that carry a lot of importance in our culture and tradition and also keeps them alive. People from different cultures and religions celebrate their own festivals during different points of time in a year with lots of enthusiasm and excitement which makes this beautiful country different and also exceptional in its own way. Hindus are the majority in India and they celebrate their festivals with a lot of zest. Raksha Bandhan is one the major 5 festivals of Hindus and Indian tradition. It may be said that there can be no one who has not heard of this pious festival in India, be it a 7 year old kid or an adult. It holds such an important place in Indian tradition and is celebrated with such zeal that even people of other religions are also aware about it and some of them even like celebrating it.
The reason for its importance is that it is not just a festival but a celebration of a unique and pious bond of brothers and sisters. Raksha Bandhan is celebrated by Hindus on the full moon day of the month of “shravana” as per Hindi calendar which is usually the month of August. The main ritual ...
... that is followed on this auspicious day is where sisters tie rakhi on their brother’s wrist after putting a “tika” on their forehead and also feeding them with delicious sweets. It is believed that the sister performs these rituals praying for her brother’s long and prosperous life and the brother makes a promise to protect and support her throughout his life in all possible ways. The brother also showers his blessings on his sister and adores her with lovely gifts on this day to make her feel special and cheerful.
The name in itself signifies the true meaning of this festival where “Raksha” means “safety” and “Bandhan” means “bond” which implies the bond of safety and protection between a brother and his sister. Protection here basically means giving full support to his sister and helping her in whatever way it is possible and being there for her in every situation. As with every other festival that is celebrated in India Raksha Bandhan also hold history and reason for its celebration. It is believed that once during the time of Mahabharat Lord Krishna got a cut on his finger by his Sudarshan chakra, seeing which Draupadi instantly tore a piece of her saree and tied it on his finger. Looking at this gesture of Draupadi lord Krishna was so touched that he promised her to protect and cherish her always. And who is not aware of the protection and support that was shown by lord Krishna for Draupadi from time to time during the period of Mahabharat.
With the changing times and the rising importance of this festival, the designs and trends in rakhi are also changing. People now look for gorgeous and diverse rakhi designs so that the sister can enhance their brother’s wrist with the most stunning rakhis. They want the best for their loving brother or their sibling with whom they celebrate this pious festival. Different websites have given altogether new meaning to this festival with their awesome rakhi collection, gifts, embellished puja thalis and what not and also the facility to send rakhi across the globe so that distance does not become a hindrance when it comes to maintaining relationships and following our traditions. And not to mention at the end what matters the most is the feeling and sentiment with which this great festival is celebrated.