As the festival of Raksha Bandhan falls on Shravan Purnima every year in the month of August, it is celebrated with great zeal in India. It is a festival that celebrates the pledge of life-time practice of moral and cultural values imbibed in the special relationship of brothers and sisters. It is an occasion rooted back in the history of ancient India, also referred to as the “bond of protection”.

The values and sentiments attached with the festival of Raksha Bandhan evoke the significance of the special bond of love and care between siblings. As brothers and sisters gather together for this traditional festival, the sentiments of harmony and peaceful coexistence also bind families together in the spirit of kinship and oneness.

The various facets of Raksha Bandhan

Raksha Bandhan is also known and celebrated by various names in different regions of India. The rituals also differ from region to region; for example, the farmers celebrate this day as "Kajri Purnima", when they start sowing wheat and wish for good crops. In the coastal regions of India, this day is celebrated as "Narayali Purnima '', which is devoted to the God Indra (God of rain), and the God Varuna (God of sea).

While there are numerous mythological tales linked to Raksha Bandhan, the most important historical reference to the tradition lies in The Mahabharata, the Sanskrit epic and one of the most important texts in the Hindu religion. It was when Lord Krishna cut his little finger and Draupadi tore off a part of her sari and bandaged his finger. As a form of gratitude, Lord Krishna promised to protect her at all times. The practice has since been celebrated by Hindus the world over as a sacred bond between the brother and sister. 

Various religious and mythological tales related to the history of Raksha Bandhan are illustrated everywhere. Among these famous legends and stories behind the festival of Raksha Bandhan, there was also a real-life incident, that’s worth knowing, that took place in the history of India to revive the significance of the festival of Raksha Bandhan.

Rabindranath Tagore, the great poet, philosopher and writer celebrated Raksha Bandhan in Bengal to mitigate the divide between Hindus and Muslims. He wanted to unite the two communities in a spirit of unity and brotherhood in order to avoid the partition of Bengal. So, he celebrated this festival to create and establish the spirit of communal harmony, unity and brotherhood. Raksha Bandhan, since then, is celebrated in Bengal every year.

 

Reaffirming sibling love and festive togetherness

Thus, the festival Raksha Bandhan is a symbol of one of the human’s emotional bonds in a family that signifies togetherness. The sacred feelings and well wishes that reside in the silk or sacred thread of Rakhi signify strengthened relationships between brothers and sisters, and revive the emotional bonding too.

 

Thus, no matter what the festival is about, or which relationship it celebrates, India is known for its culture and tradition, and every Indian festival is a way to unite and connect with family not only to celebrate the festival but also to cherish the special bond of ‘Kinship’.