Raksha Bandhan is the festival of brothers and sisters as Diwali is of the lights. The auspicious occasion celebrates the bond of brothers and sisters. The essence of the occasion is protection, the word ‘Raksha’ itself means protection, and ‘Bandhan’ is a verb that means to tie. It means the promise the brothers make to protect their sisters when their sister ties the rakhi in their hand. Rakhi symbolizes the love and responsibility of a brother towards his sister and the sister towards her brother. Send Rakhi to India from UK or any corner of the world via our website. You can go through our article on how to send rakhi to India from the USA, which might guide you to send gifts to India.
The roots of this tradition lie in the ancient myths and stories of our culture and it holds much significance to this day. If you are just as curious as we are about the various stories linked with Rakhi then you are at the right place. In this article, we are going to explore the stories that have made the festival that we celebrate today.
The festival was not always celebrated as we do it in the present. The custom was not only restricted to only brothers and sisters. As the essence of the festival is to cherish and protect each other it was also celebrated by husband and wife in the ancient era. There is a mythology in prehistoric India that says that Indrani the wife of Indra used to tie a thread which was symbolized as a Rakhi before he went to fight demons. The purpose of tying the thread in hand was to emphasize the emotion of protection to the loved ones. This story contradicts the present motion of the festival.
Most of us know how Lord Krishna protected Draupadi from the humiliation of Cheer Haran in Mahabharat at the hands of Kauravas. But what we don’t know is the story behind it. It is said that once Lord Krishna cut his finger while flying a kite. While his wife Rukmani went to bring some medicine, Draupadi tore a piece from her saree and bandaged his wounded fingers. Lord Krishna promised to protect her any time and he did so by protecting her from humiliation.
This is one of the most unknown facts about Rakhi in the history of Raksha Bandhan. The Queen Karnavati of Chittor had sent Rakhi to Humayun to seek protection for her nation. Her kingdom was attacked by the Sultan of Gujarat Bahadur Shah. The kingdom was attacked and even though Humayun was late in saving Karnavati he avenged her death by defeating Bahadur Shah. He respected the promise by giving back the kingdom to Karnavati’s Son.
The pre-partitioned Indian History witnessed the bonds of Raksha Bandhan during the partition which was postponed. During the partition, Rabindranath Tagore used Rakhi as a Social device to stop India from partitioning. The borders of India witnessed people tying rakhi to each other's hands to strengthen the bonds between the Hindus and the Muslims during the freedom struggle. The custom of Raksha Bandhan still proceeds beyond the line of caste, creed and religion.
Raksha Bandhan is a festival that is celebrated in various forms and along with a variety of people. The festival is not only celebrated in the Indian peninsula but also in different nations like Nepal, Mauritius, the USA, Sri Lanka, and UAE. The festival is accepted widely and celebrated with great enthusiasm as it represents the universal bond of brothers and sisters.
The stories have evolved throughout the years but what has remained the same is the essence and emotion. The festival has always been dedicated to the essence of protection and compassion between siblings. This will and has always been a day to celebrate the bond of the siblings.
