Greetings to all on the auspicious occasion of the Raksha Bandhan today.
It is a festival dedicated to the beautiful relationship between brother and sister. This festival is celebrated every year on the full moon day of the month of Sawan. On this day, sisters tie a Rakshasutra (which we call Rakhi) on their brother’s wrist and wish them a happy life.
This day has a lot of significance, as so many stories are attached to this pious day.
On the day of Raksha Bandhan, firstly most Hindu families make it a point that they tie Lord Ganesha to a red-colored Rakhi. Because Shri Ganesha likes red color. It is believed that by doing this, all the miseries and troubles of life are removed and Riddhi-Siddhi is attained.
The festival of Raksha Bandhan is celebrated on the full moon of Sawan. The month of Sawan is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Purnima is the last day of this month. Therefore, tying Rakhi to Lord Shiva on this day makes him thrilled and blesses him with the fulfillment of his wishes.
According to the history related to Hindu religious beliefs, first, Goddess Lakshmi made King Bali her brother by tying a Rakhi-wishing for his long and misery-free life and King Bali praying to his “Super Powers” to give him all the powers to protect Goddess Lakshmi from evil attacks.
According to mythological beliefs, Draupadi had tied a piece of her lap as a protection thread to Lord Krishna at the time of Rajasuya Yagya. Since then, the tradition of tying Rakhi by sisters to brothers started. According to a legend, when Lord Krishna killed King Shishupala, his finger started bleeding. Seeing Krishna’s hand bleeding, Draupadi ripped a piece of her sari and tied it to his finger. It is said that from here, Lord Krishna accepted Draupadi as his sister. Lord Krishna had also protected Draupadi during Cheer Haran, keeping the promise of protecting his sister.
All the above-cited historical details reflect one thing in common, which proves that this festival is being celebrated since the times of our Devtas well before our Mahabharta was even written. Hindus have been celebrating this festival since times immemorial and strengthening the pious bond between brother and sister even more strongly.
Times have changed so much that our relations, like our sisters and brothers, have been living apart from each other with their respective families thousands of miles away. This occasion makes them all feel coming very close on such emotional occasions even more. Where the pious thread which the sisters send well in advance to their respective brothers are duly worn on their brothers’ wrists by the other near relations acting as their sister if the sisters are not physically present. Otherwise, wherever the lucky sisters are present in the same town or near their parents or brother’s homes-they directly make it a point to come to their brothers and tie the thread themselves with an Abhishek or Tilak on their brother’s forehead.
When we go deep into the philosophy of all such festivals-we realize that even in our earlier times-when there were not so many development-the ways and means to maintain a very close relationship in the brother’s form-sister bond were beautifully created. Through such emotional bondings, the unity, strengthening of families, and care for each other were clearly depicted-which otherwise now in this materialistic world has been vanishing quick.
My only sister has been living in Ahmedabad for quite some time now. I normally get the Rakhee from her at least a week to ten days before the festival. I wait for this festival to come and my little daughter poses as my sister on the day of Raksha Bandhan and on behalf of my sister does the pooja and puts a Teika on my forehead and wears the same Rakhee on my wrist which my sister had sent in advance. Immediately after wearing the same I show the same to my sister on a video talk and thank her and wish her all the best at the same time. With this act of talking to her on video, I somehow get the feeling as if she was herself here and the whole ceremony was performed by her only. Thanks to modern-day technology.
Likewise, the lot of brothers who are like me away from their sisters must celebrate this pious festival- in the same way, and send their blessings accordingly. Thanks to such important festivals in our Hindu religion- where our bonds, relationships, and above all, the strengthening process of relations in the family go on perpetually.
