A simple thread tied around the wrist of the brother by the sister has great power in keeping the relationship going. Happy Raksha Bandhan 2023 which falls on the full moon day (Purnima) in the month of August is an auspicious day for brothers and sisters in India.
Happy Raksha Bandhan History
This Paragraph, The History of Raksha Bandhan is a long and complex one. There are many different stories about its origin, and it is in different ways in different parts of India.
One of the Stories tells of the Pandava brothers, who were exiled from their kingdom. Their sister, Kunti, tied rakhis on their wrists to remind them of her love and support. The Pandavas were able to overcome many challenges and eventually regain their kingdom thanks to Kunti’s love and protection.
However, Happy Raksha Bandhan is have originated in the Vedic period, around 1500 BCE. It was originally a ritual to protect warriors from harm before going into battle.
Over time, the festival evolved to become a celebration of the bond between brothers and sisters
However, Raksha Bandhan is now by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and some Buddhists all over the world. It is a day to reaffirm the love and protection that brothers and sisters have for each other. It is also a day to celebrate family and community.
Happy Raksha Bandhan Significance
Here are some of the significance of Raksha Bandhan:
- Reaffirmation of love and protection:
Raksha Bandhan is a day to reaffirm the love and protection that brothers and sisters have for each other. The sister ties a rakhi on her brother’s wrist, which is a symbol of her love and protection.
Similarly, The brother promises to always protect his sister from harm.
- Celebration of family and community:
Raksha Bandhan is also a day to celebrate family and community. Sisters and brothers come together to celebrate their love and bond. They also spend time with their extended family and friends.
- Importance of relationships:
Raksha Bandhan is a reminder of the importance of relationships. It shows how strong the bond between brothers and sisters can be. It also shows how important it is to have people in our lives who love and support us.
Raksha Bandhan Purpose
Here are some specific purposes of Raksha Bandhan:
- To reaffirm the love and protection between brothers and sisters:
Raksha Bandhan is a day to express the love and affection that brothers and sisters have for each other. The rakhi is a symbol of this love and protection.
- To celebrate family and community:
Raksha Bandhan is a day to come together as a family and community. Sisters and brothers get together to celebrate their love and bond. They also spend time with their extended family and friends.
- To reinforce the importance of relationships:
Raksha Bandhan is a reminder of the importance of relationships. It shows how strong the bond between brothers and sisters can be. It also shows how important it is to have people in our lives who love and support us.
There are references to this festival even in Puranas. The well-known one is about the goddess Lakshmi and King Bali. It is believed that King Bali sought Lord Vishnu’s help in protecting his kingdom. Lord Vishnu knew King Bali’s devotion to him and acknowledged the aid. He went to King Bali’s kingdom leaving his abode in Vaikuntam and even goddess Lakshmi. Goddess Lakshmi decided to get Lord Vishnu back.
She went in the garb of a Brahmin woman and took shelter in King Bali’s palace. On Shravan Purnima day she tied a rakhi to the king and disclosed her identity and told him how keen Lord Vishnu is in helping him.
In other words, Bali was touched by this gesture of his lord and agreed to send it by Lord Vishnu as a gift for the rakhi tied. As he had promised that he would protect her happiness.
Lord Krishna and Draupadi are another brother-sister duo in the Puranas who have been bound by rakhi. When Lord Krishna battled with Shishupal and got hurt in the course of the battle. Seeing him bleed Draupadi tore her sari and tied it on his wrist in order to stop bleeding and thus protect him.
However, Lord Krishna had taken it upon himself that he would protect Draupadi in her testing times. He repaid his gratitude when Draupadi had to suffer humiliation at the hands of Kauravas. Lord Krishna elongated her sari to such an extent that Kauravas could not pull off her.
There is no dearth of incidences in history too to support the festival which is fondly even today. In the medieval period, Rani Karnawati the widow of the King of Chittor sought help from Emperor Humayun by sending him a Rakhi. The emperor reciprocated with help to fight the Mughul invasion.
In this Paragraph, Such is the greatness of this festival which is just a thread tied around the wrist but a true promise made by a brother to a sister. And sister in turn blesses his household with happiness.
On this day, sisters visit their brothers to tie Rakhi. First, they smear vermilion on the brother’s forehead and stick rice grains therein. Later, puja is performed to the brother and arti is done.
However, Sister ties a rakhi on his wrist and gives him sweets to eat. In turn, in modern times, brothers gift her something.
According to their affordability, brothers shower gifts and give and seek blessings for a happy and long-lasting relationship.
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Brothers, in turn are bound by the delicate threads to cherish and safeguard their sisters.no more.