RAKSHA BANDHAN

19th August 2024

Hindu

This festival takes place on the full moon of the month of Shravana. Raksha means ‘protection’ and bandhan means ‘to tie’. Girls and married women in families which come from a north Indian background tie a rakhi (amulet) on the right wrists of their brothers, wishing them protection from all sorts of evil influences of various kinds. The brothers in return promise to protect their sisters and offer them gifts and sweets. This ritual not only strengthens the bond of love between brothers and sisters, but also reinforces the unity of the family.

Rakhis are traditionally simple, colourful bracelets made of interwoven red and gold threads. Some of them feature precious silk, beautifully crafted with gold and silver threads, embroidered with sequins and studded with semi-precious stones.

The key to understanding Raksha Bandhan is to know that it is marked by happiness and excitement, especially for young girls and women. Preparations for the festival begin well in advance. Then, on the Raksha Bandhan day, the festivities start at day break. Everyone is ready early and they gather for the worship of the deities. After invoking the blessings of the gods, the sister performs ‘brother’s arti’, puts a tika on his forehead and ties her rakhi amidst the chanting of mantras. Then she gives him sweets and gifts. The brother accepts her offerings and vows to take care of her and be by her side in the time of her need. As a token he gives the sister a return gift and sweets. The family reunion itself is sufficient reason for celebrations, marked by . Tasty dishes, sweets, gifts, song and dance.

This is a universal opportunity for reunion and celebration. People exchange gifts and share exotic dishes and wonderful sweets. For those who are not able to meet each other, rakhi cards, e-rakhis and rakhis sent by post perform alternative ways of communicating the rakhi messages. Handmade rakhis are bought and sold, and homemade rakhi cards are increasingly frequent. It is typically a Hindu festival but nowadays people from different faiths celebrate it too.

No Hindu festival is complete without these typical Indian festivities, the gatherings, celebrations, exchange of sweets and gifts, lots of noise, singing and dancing. Raksha Bandhan has now become a regional celebration of just this sort to celebrate the sacred relationship between brothers and sisters. It is celebrated in different forms in different areas of India and is also known by different names. So. for example, in western Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa, Hindus offer coconuts to the sea god, Lord Varuna, and the festival is accordingly called Nariyal Purnima, coconut full-moon.

Throughout the country, but especially in north and western India, females tie rakhis around the wrists of boys and men who have no sisters. A man might acquire a sister who in every respect is such except in biological fact; or a woman may tie a rakhi around the wrist of her male first cousin who is without sisters. Indian texts are replete with the observation that men should look upon women as their sisters and mothers.