Rakhi or Raksha Bandhan

Rakhi, is a well loved and celebrated holiday for brothers and sisters all over India. The bond between brothers and sisters is very special. It is a reaffirmation of love and affection between siblings and a promise to always be there when needed. Traditionally a brother promises to always protect his sister, A promise that can be called upon even when the sister has left the household and married.

Raksha-bandhan will be celebrated on 16th August, 2008 throughout the world with high spirit and rejoiced by both brothers and sisters everywhere.

RakhiGiftsIndia.com is a site dedicated to fulfilling the gifting needs of our customers during Rakhi. It is owned and operated by 'G.N.Enterprises' which is a company based in New Delhi and has been in the B2B business since 2001.

Raksha Bandhan is an Indian festival, which depicts the love of brothers and sisters.

The name 'Raksha (protection) Bandhan (a bond)' suggests, 'a bond of protection', Raksha Bandhan is a pledge from brothers to protect the sister from all harms and troubles and a prayer from the sister to protect the brother from all evil. The festival falls on the Shravan Purnima (full moon day of shravan month) which comes generally in the month of August.

The sister ties the rakhi (a colorfully decorated sacred thread) on the brother's right hand wrist and both worships the deities, for each others' well being followed by a oath from the brother to take care of his sister under all circumstances. The brother then usually gifts something to the sister to mark the occasion. The 'rakhadi' or ‘rakhi’ ranges from a coloured cotton string to exquisitely decorated balls of various sizes and materials such as fluffy cotton, 'zari' paper, tinsel, beads and so on.

As per the tradition the family members get ready for the rituals early. They take a bath to purify mind and body before starting any preparations. The sisters prepare ‘thali’ for the pooja. It contains the rakhi threads, kumkum powder, rice grains, diya (an earthen or a metal lamp used for worshiping) and sweets. First of all the offerings are made to the deities of the family. The sister then performs the arti of the brother and ties the rakhi. She then Tilaks (puts kumkum powder on the forehead) him and offers sweets.

 While performing the rituals the Sister chants:
"Suraj shakhan chhodian, Mooli chhodia beej Behen ne rakhi bandhi / Bhai tu chir jug jee",

Meaning "The sun radiates its sunlight, the radish spreads its seeds, I tie the rakhi to you O brother and wish that may you live long."

After her prayer for a long life for her brother, she says that she is tying the ever-protective Raksha to her brother chanting:
"Yena baddho Balee raajaa daanavendro mahaabalah tena twaam anubadhnaami rakshe maa chala maa chala"

Meaning ," I tie you the rakhi that was tied to king Bali, the king of Demons, O Rakhi I pray that you never falter in protecting your devotee".
 
The brother in turn acknowledges the love with a promise to be by the sisters' side through the thick and thin and gives her a token gift. The gift is the physical acceptance of her love, reminder of their togetherness and a symbol of his pledge.

The rituals may differ a little from region to region but generally carry the same feeling. That is kind of an end to the rituals but the celebrations actually start after that. For the parents, it is a family reunion. Tasty meals, wonderful sweets, exchange of gifts and sharing of past experiences. Some of the traditional rakhi recipes are Banana Cutlets, Vermicelli Kheer, Pakoras, Mal Pua, Khoya Burfi, koprapak, Tamarind Rice etc.

For those siblings who for distances are not able to meet, it is a day for remembering the time when the day was celebrated together. Emotions are expressed through e mails, e cards, rakhi greeting cards, and rakhis through internet or mail. Nothing on this day can stop the overflowing emotions. Though now it is considered as a brother and sister festival, it was not always so. There have been examples in history where in rakhi has just been a protection. It could be tied by wife, a daughter or mother. The Rishis tied rakhi to the people who came seeking their blessings. The sages tied the sacred thread to themselves to safe guard them from the evil. Raksha Bandhan assumes all forms of Raksha or protection, of righteousness and destroyer of all sin. Legend says that Indrani, the wife of Indra, started the practice of tying a rakhi. When the gods suffered a terrible defeat at the hands of the demons and Indra lost his kingdom, Indrani, following Vishnu's advice, prepared a charm as prescribed by the sacred texts and tied the thread around Indra's wrist. Indra easily defeated the demons by virtue of this thread and won back his kingdom. Tying a rakhi signifies the obligation of the strong to protect the weak. History records many instances of Hindu queens sending rakhis to Muslim kings to seek their help. Despite their differing faiths, the kings invariably provided help and honored the significance of raksha bandhan as a tie of protection.

Full moon day is considered to be an auspicious day in India and an auspicious day of the holy month ‘Shravana’
is of great importance. The Shravana Purnima is celebrated all over the country in one form or the other. In the coastal regions of India, the festival is known as Nariyal Purnima. The day is devoted to the Rain God  Indra and the Sea God Varuna. The nariyal i.e. coconuts are offered to the Gods to please them and seek their blessings. Coconut is considered to be a symbol of three-eyed God Lord Shiva. It also marks the beginning of the fishing season. They pray for calmer sea. This festival is called Avani Avittam in South India. It is an important day for the Brahmins. The first take a holy bath and then change their holy thread (Janeyu) chanting the mantras. They take a vow to perform the brahmanik duties as prescribed in the holy books and adopt a good conduct and dignity. The Janeyu represents the vow for adherence to vedic culture, observance of Hindu traditions and service to humanity. The ceremony is called Shravani or Rishi Tarpan.In Northern India, Rakhi Purnima is also called Kajri Purnima or Kajri Navami, when wheat or barley is sown. Goddess Bhagwati is worshiped and farmers seek her blessings for a good crop.

The name Baleva signifies the might of King Bali and his devotion to lord Vishnu and Goddess Laxmi.These celebrations are in other words a kind of thanks giving to the Gods. Rakhi in today’s scenario though celebrated, as a sibling’s festival, if taken in true sense has a much broader perspective. The festival encompasses true sense of peace and brotherhood. The values propagated by the occasion if inculcated by all human beings can bring the much-needed relief from the ongoing violence and mistrust.It is a festival that dictates the values of brotherhood and self-perseverance.

'Raksha Bandhan' or 'Rakhi' is a special occasion to celebrate the bond by tying a holy thread around the wrist. This thread, which pulsates with sisterly love and sublime sentiments, is rightly called the 'Rakhi'. It means 'a bond of protection', and Raksha Bandhan signifies that the strong must protect the weak from all that's evil. Raksha Bandhan is known by various names: Vish Tarak - the destroyer of venom, Punya Pradayak - the bestower of boons, and Pap Nashak - the destroyer of sins.

Raksha Bandhan (the bond of protection in Hindi) is a Hindu festival which celebrates the relationship between brothers and sisters. It is celebrated on the full moon of the month of Shraavana and in 2007 it falls on August 28.

The festival is marked by the tying of a rakhi, or holy thread by the sister on the wrist of her brother. The brother in return offers a gift to his sister and vows to look after her. The brother and sister traditionally feed each other sweets.

It is not necessary that the rakhi can be given only to a brother by birth; any male can be "adopted" as a brother by tying a rakhi on the person, whether they are cousins or a good friend. Indian history is replete with women asking for protection, through rakhi, from men who were neither their brothers, nor Hindus themselves. Rani Karnavati of Chittor sent a rakhi to the Mughal Emperor Humayun when she was threatened by Bahadur Shah of Mewar. Humayun abandoned an ongoing military campaign to ride to her rescue.

The rakhi may also be tied on other special occasions to show solidarity and kinship (not necessarily only among brothers and sisters), as was done during the Indian independence movement.

Origins
The origin of the festival is mostly attributed to one of following mythological incidents:

1. Indra's fight with Vritra - Indra, the king of devtas (gods), had lost his kingdom to the asura (demon) Vritra. At the behest of his Guru Brihaspati, Indra's wife Sachi tied a thread around her husband's wrist to ensure his victory in the upcoming duel.

2. Draupadi and Krishna during the Rajsuya yagya - After Shishupal's death, Krishna was left with a bleeding finger. Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas, had torn a strip of silk off her sari and tied it around Krishna's wrist to staunch the flow of blood. Touched by her concern, Krishna had declared himself bound to her by her love. He further promised to repay the debt manifold. Many years later when Draupudi was about to be shamed by being disrobed in front of the whole court by her evil brother-in-law Duryodhana, she called on Krishna to help her, and he did by divinely elongating her sari so it could not be removed.

History

Rani Karnawati and Emperor Humayun
One of the earliest origins of Raksha Bandhan in documented history can be traced to the medieval era. During this period the Rajputs were fighting Muslim invasions. Rakhi at that time was a spiritual symbol associated with protection of the sister. History has it that when Queen Karnawati the widow of the then King of Chittor realised that she could in no way defend the invasion of the Sultan of Gujarat, Bahadur Shah, she sent a rakhi to Emperor Humayun. The Emperor touched by the gesture, accepted the rakhi thereby accepting Queen Karnawati as a "sister" and immediately started off with his vast troops to protect Queen Karnavati.

Alexander The Great and King Puru
One of the oldest legendary references to the festival of Rakhi goes back to 300 B.C. At this time Alexander the Great, was invading India. Alexander was shaken by the fury of the Indian king Puru in his first attempt. Upset by this, Alexander's wife, who had heard of the Rakhi festival, approached King Puru. King Puru accepted her as his sister and when the opportunity came during the war, he refrained from fighting Alexander. In the war, when Alexander fell from his chariot and King Puru was about to slay him, King Puru saw the rakhi on his wrist and he drew his sword back!

The History of Raksha bandhan
There are many references to the significance of the Rakhi festival in Vaishnava Theology.

Vrita-Indra
The origin of this festival is usually traced back to the historical incidents of Indra's fight with Vritra-Indra that resulted in Indra's loss. Then, his wife had tied a thread around his wrist and empowered it with divine powers to make sure Indra emerged victorious in the duel that followed.

Krishna and Draupadi
Another incident is the one that concerns Krishna and Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas. She had torn a strip of silk off her sari and tied it around Krishna's wrist to stop the flow of blood Krishna was so touched by her action that he found himself bound to her by love. He promised to repay the debt and then spent the next 25 years doing just that. Draupadi in spite of being married to 5 great warriors and being a daughter of a powerful monarch only trusted and depended wholly on Krishna.

King Bali and Goddess Laxmi
According to another legend the Demon King Bali was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu had taken up the task to guard his kingdom leaving his own abode in Vaikunth. Goddess Lakshmi wished to be with her lord back in her abode. She went to Bali disguised as a Brahmin woman to seek refuge till her husband came back.

During the Shravan Purnima celebrations, Lakshmi tied the sacred thread to the King. Upon being asked she revealed who she was and why she was there. The king was touched by her goodwill for his family and her purpose and requested the Lord to accompany her. He sacrificed all he had for the Lord and his devoted wife.

Thus the festival is also called Baleva that is Bali Raja's devotion to the Lord. It is said that since then it has been a tradition to invite sisters in Shravan Purnima for the thread tying ceremony or the Raksha Bandhan

Yama and the Yamuna
According to another legend, 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. Yama was so moved by the serenity of the occasion that he declared that whoever gets a rakhi tied from his sister and promised her protection will become immortal.

Raksha Bandhan celebrations in India
While Rakhsa Bandhan is celebrated all over the country, different parts of the country mark the day in different ways. These celebrations happen to fall on the same day, and may not have anything to do with Raksha Bandhan itself or Rakhi.

Tying of rakhi
Perhaps the single most important way of celebrating Raksha Bandhan is by tying the rakhi. A sister ties a rakhi to the wrist of her brother. The tying of a rakhi signifies her asking of her brother for his protection and love for the sister. The brother in turn, accepts the rakhi, confirms his love and affection for his sister and shows this with gifts and money. It is a family event where all members of family, dressed in finery, gather and celebrate. The tying of rakhi is followed by a family feast.

Rakhi Purnima
Rakhi is celebrated as Rakhi Purnima in North India as well as in parts of Northwest India. The word "Purnima" means a full moon night. DFGDFG

Nariyal Purnima
In western India and parts of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa and Karnataka, this day is celebrated as Nariyal Purnima. On this day an offering of a coconut (nariyal) is made to the sea, as a mark of respect to Lord Varuna, the God of the Sea. Nariyal Purnima marks the beginning of the fishing season and the fisherman, who depend on the sea for a living, make an offering to Lord Varuna so that they can reap bountiful fish from the sea.

Avani Avittam or Upakarman
In southern parts of India including Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Orissa, this day is celebrated by the Brahmin community as Avani Avittam. This day is the traditional day of the beginning of Vedic studies. As part of the Upakarman ritual, they also change their sacred thread or yajnopavitam, the Sanskrit word for the thread. It is also called "janeyu" in Hindi, "poonool" in Tamil, "poveeth" in Bengali, and "jhanjyam" in Telugu.

Kajari Purnima
In central parts of India such as Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Jharkand and Bihar this day is celebrated as Kajari Purnima. It is an important day for the farmers and women blessed with a son. On the ninth day after Shravana Amavasya, the preparations of the Kajari festival start. This ninth day is called Kajari Navami and varied rituals are performed by women who have sons until Kajri Purnima or the full moon day.

Pavitropana
In parts of Gujarat, this day is celebrated as Pavitropana. On this day people perform the grand pooja or the worship of Lord Shiva. It is the culmination of the prayers done through out the year.