Power and Symbolism of the Rakhi Thread

Rakshabandhan is celebrated on “Shravan Poornima” which is the full moon day in the Hindu calendar month of Shravana. The festival is a celebration of the eternal bond between brothers and sisters. Rakshabandhan is marked by the tying of the sacred thread which is known as Rakhi. And on the day of the festival it is the custom for the sisters tie rakhis around the wrists of their brothers. It is a symbol of binding the brother and sister to a relationship of a lifetime. Rakshabandhan means the tie or bond of protection and in return for the rakhis, the brothers take a pledge to protect and safeguard their sisters from all harm. The rakhi thread itself also occupies an honored place in Indian traditions. In fact it is deemed so powerful that when a woman ties the rakhi on the wrists of any male, he naturally takes on the role of a real brother and thus become honor bound to protect her at all times. There are many tales from history which illustrates this glorious tradition. Mention maybe made of the Mughal Emperor Humayun who rushed to the aid of Rani Karnawati of Chittor after she sent a rakhi to him. And in another story, after Alexander’s wife Roxana tied a rakhi on the wrists of King Porus, he protected Alexander in battlefield.

The traditions of the rakhi have been maintained for generations and people still follow them closely today. Even in this modern age when family members often stay in faraway places, they still send each other rakhi and gifts for the festival. Nowadays one can buy fancyrakhi online and have it delivered to any destination of their choice and this makes it easy for siblings to keep in touch. Even brothers can also buy gifts for rakhi online and have them delivered to their sisters for the festival.