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Come August and one sees stalls upon stalls in various kinds of shops, big and small,
all across the country filled up with Rakhis (entwined silken or golden threads
generally adorned by beads) of all kinds, some with heavy embellishments and some
very simple ones, to be tied on the wrists of men. And women from all age and social
brackets throng to these stalls and purchase these rakhis to be tied on the hand
of their brothers and sometimes even fathers on the day of Raksha Bandhan.
The same occasion is also taken due advantage of by young women who tie Rakhis around
the guys who have been making unsolicited advances, the thread tying up their passion
in the bargain!
The bond of protection
So, what exactly is the power of this thread and what does Raksha Bandhan mean?
Raksha is the Sanskrit term for protection and Bandhan signifies a tie or relationship,
so Raksha Bandhan in effect signifies a bond of protection between the two.
It is believed that when a woman ties a rakhi to the wrist of a man on the festive
day of Raksha Bandhan, he becomes obligated to protect and help her throughout his
life span. But the bond of protection is not a one way process. The Rakhi is thought
to have a dual effect. For the man the rakhi ensures protection by the heavenly
forces. In fact, this is the reason that during times of war, women have tied rakhis
to unknown soldiers so that they are victorious and successful in protecting the
nation. These emotive scenes have been caught on camera when during the 1971 Indo-Pak
war women had come out in hordes tying rakhis to all soldiers going towards the
battlefront.
When one casts an eye on events around the world, which are of similar notion, the
closest that comes is the occasion of Friendship Day. The Day that is quite popular
in the western world where friends affirm their friendship and find new ones.
But during Raksha Bandhan it is the involvement of the complete Indian system -
right from all members of the family to the environment at work places and the atmosphere
of happiness on the streets - that lends a halo to this day of symbolic reverence.
When one chances on a man on the street with an armful of these threads with dials
of various sizes, one immediately feels the bigness of the heart of the man and
the fact that he has responsibilities of looking after so many sisters. Unlike any
other similar event, this is a day of purity, of quite contemplation and of reminding
oneself of the importance of the roles in society.
The legends
According to the Hindu legends, Indrani, the wife of Indra, King of the Gods, first
initiated this sort of a bond of protection. At the time of a huge battle between
the Gods and the demons, the latter seemed to be having the upper hand; this is
when Indrani decided to do something about it. She prepared a Rakhi and tied it
around her husband's wrist, to ensure that he would not only be protected from attacks
by the demons but would also emerge victorious. And true enough, Indra and the Gods
won the battle. So on a symbolic note the rakhi (thread) is also a talisman ensuring
protection of the righteousness from the forces of evil. It is believed that the
tying of rakhi brings health, wealth, happiness and victories.
Another legend has it that once Yudhishthir, the eldest son of King Pandu and one
of the five Pandav brothers asked Sri Krishna, how could he guard himself against
impending evils and catastrophes in the coming year. To this Krishna asked him to
observe Raksha Bandhan.
The same Sri Krishna was once injured on his hand and blood was oozing out when
Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavs, tore a portion of her garment and tied it around
his wound. For Krishna this signified Raksha Bandhan and he immediately took Draupadi
as his sister. In fact, it was Sri Krishna, Draupadi called out to when she was
being derobed by the Kaurav (second cousins of the Pandavas and their sworn enemies)
prince Dushashan in the middle of the court after her husband Yudhishthir gambled
and lost her in a game of chess. And ultimately Krishna protected her honour.
Cross-religion observance
Raksha Bandhan is one festival that is observed by Hindus and non-Hindus alike.
History has it that during the Mughal era (which lasted from the 12th century AD
till the 19th the century AD), the Sultan of Gujarat attacked the Hindu kingdom
of Mewar. This is when the queen of Mewar Karmavati decided to seek the help of
Humanyun, the second Mughal ruler of India and father of the great Mughal King Akbar.
She sent a Rakhi to Humanyun asking for his help. Although, in other circumstances
Humanyun would not have helped a Hindu Rajput, but he decided otherwise. However,
unfortunately, he didn't manage to reach on time and by the time he arrived, the
Queen had already performed Jauhaar (the act stepping into fire) along with other
Hindu women to protect their honour.
This probably was the beginning of a cross-religious observance of this festival.
And even today a lot of non-Hindus follow the custom of Raksha Bandhan.
According to another story carried from time immemorial, All conquering Greek King
Alexander's wife also sent a Rakhi to the Indian Prince Porus asking him not to
slay her husband in battle. And the great Hindu king responded and refrained from
killing Alexander when such an occasion presented itself in the course of the battle.
When and how is it celebrated
The festival of Raksha Bandhan falls on the Rakhi Purnima day (generally in the
month of August and sometimes late July). This is the full moon day in the month
of Shravan according to the Hindu calendar.
Across the four corners of the nation, the day holds regional specific significance.
In the Northern part of the country, this day is observed as they day to sow wheat
or barley. On this, which is also called Kajri Purnima or Kajri Navami, people offer
a special prayer to Goddess Bhagwati (a form of the Goddess Durga, one of the prominent
Goddesses of the Hindu pantheon, who is also revered as the slayer of asurs or demons).
In Western India, Rakhi Purnima is also called Nariyal (coconut) Purnima.
This day is observed as Shravan Purnima in Southern states of India and is especially
important for the Brahmins (the priests).
In Bengal, Rabindranath Tagore introduced this tradition in Shantiniketan, an institution
set up by the great poet, with the aim of fostering love between people of all sects
and religions.
Some of the other names for Raksha Bandhan are Vish Tarak (the destroyer of venom),
Pap Nashak (destroyer of all sins) and Punya Pradayak (one that bestows boons)
The Ritual
 On this day,
women get up early in the morning, take a bath and wear their finest clothes. A
thal (plate) is prepared on which they put the Rakhi, a diya (earthen lamp), water,
roli (red threads), rice, vermilion or turmeric powder and some sweets. Then the
Rakhi is tied around the wrist and the sisters perform aarti (a hymn sung to the
Gods to ask for blessings. The process of doing the same is lighting a lamp and
chanting the aarti with the lamp in the hand) after applying a tilak (application
of vermilion or turmeric mixed with 2-3 grains of rice and water on the forehead).
The tilak is put at the centre point between the two eyebrows. It is said that the
tilak indicates the point at which the spiritual eye opens. After this they offer
sweet to their brothers, who in turn give them a gift or money so that the sister
can buy something of her choice.
In the modern avatar of this festival, sisters tie rakhis mainly around their brothers
and other male cousins' wrists. Some woman also tie rakhis to men who are not related,
but whom they consider to be like a brother(s).
Wider significance
In a world full of crisis and strife, these kind of rituals hold the key to peaceful
existence. The auspicious day of Raksha Bandhan can be used as a potent tool for
social change, which could ultimately envelop everyone in a permanent bond of love
and friendship.
- Vandana Mohal
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