What is Raksha Bandhan Festival?
Raksha Bandhan is a popular Hindu festival mainly celebrated in India and Nepal. This festival is also known as Rakhi Poornima, Nariyal Poornima, or Kajari Poornima. Raksha Bandhan is the festival to celebrate love and compassion between brother and sister.
This festival is celebrated in the month of Shravan. Shravan is the month of the Hindu calendar. Which usually comes in between July and August as per our normal calendar.
Rakshabandhan 2022: This time Rakhi festival will be special, know the auspicious time.
Raksha Bandhan Date – 11th August 2022, Thursday
Full moon date starts 10 Aug – 06:03 PM
The full moon date ends on 11 Aug at 10:37 PM
Bhadra ends – before sunrise
The relation between sibling is always very unique and extraordinary, so every part of the world give importance to sibling relation and love. But in India, this brother-sister loves to celebrate as like a festival that festival is Raksha Bandhan!
Know more about this beautiful festival:
The brief meaning of Raksha Bandhan
The meaning of the word ‘Raksha Bandhan’ means a tie or knot of protection in which Raksha means protection and Bandhan means knot or tie. This festival is not just for blood relations this is for all family members like cousins, sister-in-law, fraternal aunt, or nephew. This festival means the everlasting love of a brother-sister relationship.
How this festival celebrate in India
The festival of Raksha Bandhan is a symbol of love and affection between brother and sister. Any type of brother and sister celebrate this occasion, no need for any biological relation. In this festival, a sister ties a Rakhi (A beautiful cotton thread) around the wrist of his brother, which is the symbol of prosperity, health, and well-being and the brother also promises his sister to protect her in all circumstances in her life.
On this festival, the sister applied tilak made by kumkum to the forehead of her brother and tie the traditional thread called Rakhi to the wrist of brother and do aarti and pray for the healthy and long life of a brother. Also, as per ritual before tying a rakhi to a brother, the sister first ties a rakhi to the tulsi plant or peepal tree requesting them to protect nature this is called Virksh Raksha Bandhan.
Some Important points according to all religions in India
Almost all main religions like Hindu, Jain, Sikh, celebrate this festival.
Hindus in the northern and western parts of India mostly celebrate Raksha Bandhan. And in the Jain community also, their priests give a traditional holy thread to their people and celebrate this festival. In a Sikh community, this festival is known as Rakhari or Rakhardi. They celebrate Rakhi as a brother-sister popular traditional festival.
Let’s discuss some mythology about Raksha Bandhan
There are many mythological stories heard about this festival. Here we discuss some of them.
Indra-Sachi Devi:
As per the accent legend Bhavishya Purana, once there was a huge battle between God and demons. Indra dev trying hard to win this battle but the demons were also very strong and the battle had tough day-by-day. At that time the Sachi Devi, the wife of Indra went to Vishnu and requested him to help Indra Dev.
That time Vishu Dev gives her a holy cotton thread. Sachi Devi tied this holy thread to the wrist of Indra for his protection. The holy thread is not only limited to brother-sister, it’s is for the protection of everyone who needs it.
King Bali and The Goddess Laxmi:
According to the well-known Vishnu Purana, when God Vishnu succeed in the battle and won the kingdom of King Bali, Bali asked him to live with him in his palace. The god Vishnu accepted his request and started living with the king.
But the Goddess Laxmi wants to go back to a native place that is in Vaikunth, so she ties a Rakhi to the wrist of King Bali and makes him her brother and as a return gift of Rakhi she requested King Bali to free her husband from the promise. Bali accepts the request, and they return to Vaikunth.
Draupadi And Krishna:
As per Mahabharta, Draupadi, the wife of Pandava tied a Rakhi to Lord Krishana and made him brother, Lord Krishana also protects her in all her bad situations.
Shubh-Labh and Santoshi Maa:
The two sons of Lord Ganesha Shubh and Labh got very frustrated because they don’t have their sister. So Lord Ganesha created Santoshi maa through the heavenly blaze, and from that day, both kids got their sister.
Yamma and Yamuna:
As per mythology first Rakhi was tied by the Yamuna to his brother Yamma, the noble of death and so he was blessed with eternity, and since that time Raksha Bandhan started. Every sister ties the holy thread to her brother’s wrist for his long life.
As per History, In 1905, at the time of the partition of Bengal, Ravindranath Tagore started Rakhi Mohotsavas and tried to make a strong bond of love and togetherness between Hindu and Muslims.
Last year that is in 2018, the government decided to celebrate Raksha Bandhan as Rakhi celebrates women empowerment and protection, the government of India decided to send them a gift. So on that day, many state government gives women free transportation, some hotels give free coupons, some shopkeepers provide a discount on women necessary items.
‘Raksha’ means protection and ‘Bandhan’ means a bond, so everyone who protect us, help us, we tied a Rakhi to them and pray for their long and healthy life. Our soldiers protect us from the enemy, so women even tied Rakhi to them and pray for their long life.
The same way, Earth, Nature, Trees also protect us so before tying Rakhi to brother many women do worship and request nature to protect us.
In today’s generation, everybody celebrates Rakhi full of enthusiasm and happiness. Before one month of the Rakhi festival, there are lots of shops get open with beautiful multicolored, silk thread rakhi. And every sister is excited to buy Rakhi for her brother. There are different types of Rakhis available in the market; Like gold Rakhi, Sliver plated Rakhi, Flower Rakhi, Kids Rakhi, and many more.
Rakhi celebration is not just a brother-sister festival but a family get-together. Everyone meets together, eat together, exchange lots of beautiful gifts with each other. Raksha Bandhan is a very important festival as per the Hindu calendar as it cherishes the relation between brother and sister.
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