Raksha Bandhan
16 Aug, 2008
This festival is held all over india. |
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Raksha Bandhan is celebrated on the full moon in the month of Sravana in the lunar calendar. Brothers and sisters reaffirm their bounds of affection on this day. Sisters tie colorful threads on their brothers’ wrists. The brothers in turn promise to protect their sisters and give them gifts.
Rakhi or Raksha Bandhan Festival is one of the most popular festivals in the country and is celebrated with lot of zest and enthusiasm. Raksha bandhan symbolizes the deep love between brothers and sisters. The sanctity of Rakhi festival is acknowledged right from the Vedic times to these modern times, when people are living in thoroughly industrialized times in which the age-old values of life are falling apart. Even if a girl ties Rakhi around the wrist of a stranger, both of them from the auspicious moment, look upon each other as brother and sister and become closer in this pure relationship than other blood relations.
Legends
Festival of Rakhi in India finds a mention in Mahabharata when Lord Krishna advised Yudhishthir to perform the ceremony to protect himself and the army from the dangers of the war. It is said that Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas tied rakhi to her grandson Abhimanyu and Draupadi to lord Krishna. It is said that the 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.
Rituals like Rakhi, there is no doubt, help ease out various societal strains, induce fellow-feeling, open up channels of expression, and give us an opportunity to rework on the role as human beings and, most importantly, bring joy in the mundane lives.
According to Indian traditions, the festival rituals follows as chanting of sacred sonnet (Mantras), sanctified with rice, red color (roli) etc. The sister dressed in their typical Indian attires serves her brother by putting Tilak (red color) on his forehead added with raw rice. Then she ties Rakhi thread on her brother's wrist and offers him with the plate of sweets, here - the brother become obliged to protect her sister under any circumstances.
It is said that this protection thread protects from sins on the one hand and removes diseases on the other hand. By tying this thread, one is secured for the entire year and all kinds of fears are removed.
This festival has evolved over the years to encompass the importance of many people in Hindu society, yet foremost it continues to honour and uphold the relationship between a sister and brother.
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