Hindu Ashrams/Organizations
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Hindu Ashrams/Organizations
Raksha Bandhan Festival
The pure bond of love and affection between a brother and
a sister is one of the deepest and noblest of human emotions. The ritual is
observed on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Shravan. This thread,
which vibrates with sisterly love and virtuous sentiments, is rightly called
the 'Rakhi'. A "bond of protection".
Raksha Bandhan is a divine festival not only sisters tie the holy threads to
their brothers, Priests tie to people of his congregation. During ancient
times, if a woman tied a Rakhi on the hand of any man, then it became
essentially important for him, as his religious duty of the highest order,
to protect that woman. That man would put his life at stake to protect the
honor of that woman.
Many Rajput Kings sacrificed their lives to protect their spiritual sisters.
Humayun the great Mughal Emperor received a Rakhi from the queen Karmavati
of Chittor and for that, Humayun carried out his sacred brotherly duty and
protected her by opposing his own soldiers.
People are committed to protect each other and the
society in such congregational Rakhi Utsavs, popularized by the Nobel
laureate Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore.
Rakhis are decorated with soft silky threads of various colors, and also
with ornaments, pictures, gold and silver threads etc. These Rakhis enhance
the artistry of the people.
Rituals like Rakhi, help ease out various strains relations, induce
fellow-feeling, give ways for communications and enhance an opportunity to
rework on our role as human beings, most significantly, brings delight in
our monotonous 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.
In today's world the fashionable friendship band in vogue has become an extension of the Rakhi custom. When a girl feels a friend of the opposite sex has developed a kind of love too strong for her to reciprocate, she sends the guy a Rakhi and turns the relationship into a sisterly one. This is one way of saying, "let's just be friends", without hurting the other person's soft feelings for her.
This ritual not only strengthens the bond of love between
brothers and sisters, but also transcends the confines of the family. When a
Rakhi is tied on the wrists of close friends and neighbors, it underscores
the need for a harmonious social life, where every individual co-exists
peacefully as brothers and sisters.