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.

Legends associated with Raksha Bandhan

There are numerous stories and legends associated with the festival of Raksha Bandhan. In fact almost every festival in India has a mythological origin.  A legend surrounding the festival comes from the epic Mahabharata. Yudhishthira, the eldest son of Pandavas was advised by Krishna to observe the rituals of Raksha Bandhan to ensure his safety in the battle against the Kauravas. He did so and despite the fact that Pandavas had lesser manpower and resources, they won the war.

It is also believed that Yamuna used to tie a rakhi on the wrist of Lord Yama, the god of Death, as a talisman for safeguarding. She used to do this on every Shravan Poornima. And ever since, it has become the custom for sisters to tie rakhis on their brother’s wrists on this day.

Raksha Bandhan means “the bond of protection.” The main traditions of the festival is the tying of the sacred thread known as rakhi, and the vow of protection taken by the person on whose hand it is tied on. Another important tradition is the custom of rakhi return gifts which brothers give to their sisters in return for the rakhis. And with Raksha Bandhan just around the corner, people can be seen thronging marketplaces to buy rakhis and gifts. But in this age of computers people prefer to shop for their Raksha Bandhan gifts online. An added advantage of online rakhi shopping is that they can buy fancy rakhi online and have them delivered to their siblings in faraway places.

The Importance and Value of Rakhi

One of the most popular festivals of the country is Rakshabandhan. It is celebrated with great enthusiasm and with much joy all over the nation. The festival is celebrated in honor of the special and beautiful relationship between brothers and sisters. On the day of the festival it is the custom of the sisters to tie a ritual thread known as rakhi around the wrists of their brothers. The rakhi is a symbolism of the lifetime bond between them. It is believed that the rakhi is so powerful and the ties it bounds are unbreakable. A man tied by a rakhi naturally assumes the role of a real brother for the woman who tied it and he must also protect her at all costs.

In the annals of Indian history we find that the Emperor Humayun rushed to the aid of Rani Karnawati after she sent a rakhi to him. The Indian king Porus protected Alexander the great in the battlefield after Alexander’s wife tied a rakhi on his wrists.

The custom of rakhi is considered to be of great importance in Indian traditions. Even when they can’t be there in person for the festival, people always send rakhi and gifts to their siblings through postal and courier services. Nowadays with the advent of internet gifts delivery business people can also buy gifts for rakhi online and send them to their siblings in distant places. Even the rakhi thread which was originally a simple home- woven thread can also be online found in its many modern formats. And sisters buy fancy Rakhi online which are available in many different designs.

Secular Traditions of Indian Festivals

In India, people celebrate many traditional festivals and most of them are accompanied by religious rites and other traditions. The festivals are socio-religious in content but even when worship is performed according to the specific religious norms, participation in most of the festivals is not restricted to a particular community. Generally members of all the communities participate in the festivities, and the festivals are symbolic of the unity and diversity of Indian cultures.

Raksha Bandhan is one such festival of the country which has transgressed religious and cultural barriers. Although the festival is of Hindu origin, people from all communities whether they are Muslims, Sikhs, Jains or Christians participate in the festival with the same fervor and enthusiasm. The festival is a celebration of the unique relationship between brothers and sisters. On the day of the festival it is the custom for girls to tie a ritual thread around the wrists of their brothers. The thread is popularly known as rakhi and it symbolizes the binding of the siblings into a relationship for life. When a girl ties a rakhi on the wrists of any male it becomes his natural duty to protect her from all harm at all times. So the brothers or the males takes a vow of safeguarding their sisters and also present them with gifts in return for the rakhis.

The rakhi tradition is inherent in Indian culture and people consider it of great importance that they send rakhi and gifts for their siblings even at faraway places. These days in the modern age of the internet people buy their Raksha Bandhan gifts online and have them delivered to a destination of their choice. Not only have some of the old traditions changed but the rakhi thread itself which was originally a home-woven simple thread, are now available in fancy designs.  And the fancy rakhi threads are not sold only in traditional shops and marketplaces but people also buy fancy rakhi online from internet gift stores.

The changing faces of Rakshabandhan

Changes are inevitable with time and nothing remains the same forever. Even traditional festivals go through many changes with the onset of time. The festival of Rakshabandhan too has undergone significant changes in traditions. Some of the major changes are:

1) Fancy Rakhis: The traditional rakhi thread with its simplistic designs have been taken over by fancy or designer rakhis. A colorful rakhi embellished with radiant stones are one of the most popular fancy rakhi designs.

2) Inclusion of other family members in the rituals: Traditionally the rakhi ritual was confined to sisters and brothers only. But these days, sisters also tie rakhis on the wrists of their brother’s wives.

3) Lumba or Bhabhi Rakhis: The inclusion of sisters in law in the ceremonies has given rise to the lumba. And unlike rakhis they are not worn on the wrists but hooked on to a bangle instead. Lumbas are usually conical in shape with a loop tied to its highest point.

4) Pair of Rakhis: Nowadays people present rakhis in sets for both the brother and his wife. The set of rakhis are usually a rakhi and a lumba with similar features.

5) Rakhi gifts for brother: Traditionally it was only the brother who used to present the rakhi return gifts but now sisters too present rakhi gifts for their brothers.

6) Online rakhi shopping: Nowadays most people don’t go to traditional shops anymore as they prefer to shop for Rakshabandhan gifts online. Online shopping is much more convenient as one doesn’t have to throng busy marketplaces and instead they can have the rakhi gifts delivered at their doorsteps.

Changes and Shifts in Rakhi Gifting Traditions

There are many traditions and customs associated with the festival of Rakshabandhan. People have maintained them for ages and they are still as relevant today. On the day of the festival sisters tie the rakhi on the wrists of their brothers as a symbol of binding them to an everlasting relationship.

Rakshabandhan translates from Sanskrit as “the tie or bond of protection, “and this is in significance of the custom for brothers taking a solemn vow to safeguard their sisters at all costs in return for the rakhis. Indian traditions also maintains if a woman ties a rakhi on the wrists of any male, he is obligated to treat her like his real sister and must also protect her from all harm. There are many examples from history which illustrates this glorious tradition. King Porus safeguarded Alexander the great in battlefield after Alexander’s wife Roxana tied a rakhi on his wrists. And the tale of the Mughal Emperor Humayun who rushed to help Rani Karnawati of Chittor after she sent a rakhi to him is another classic example.

But with the onset of time there have been some changes in the traditions of the festival. Traditionally it was only the brothers who presented rakhi return gifts to their sisters but these days sisters too buy gifts for Rakhi and present them to their brothers. The rakhi thread itself has also undergone changes. They were traditionally simple cotton or silk threads woven at home but now people buy fancy Rakhi threads in various designs which are readily available in the market. Although there have been slight changes in the traditions, the essence of sister and brother still stays the same for Rakshabandhan.

Celebrating our Friends on Friendship Day

Friends are one of the most important things in our lives. They keep us happy and add meaning to our lives. They act as a positive influence and we can count on their support when things get tough. A good friend is someone who is there in every twist and turn of life. One might see them every day, once a year, or even less but one thing is for sure that they will always be there for us when the time comes. Our friends don’t care for our riches and material things; instead they love us for what we are.

Friendship is one of basic building blocks of a harmonious society. People have revered friendship from time immemorial. Many cultures from all over the world have stories and legends filled with wonderful tales of friendship. But even though friendship has always been revered, the tradition of celebrating a special day for friends and friendship is comparatively recent.

The idea of Friendship day celebration was originally promoted by Joyce Hall, the founder of Hallmark cards in 1930. Friendship Day is a worldwide occasion and International Friendship Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of August every year. People celebrate the occasion together with their friends. They also exchange Friendship day cards, flowers, wrist bands and other gifts. Friendship gifts are tokens of love and symbols of appreciation. A friendship gift on the occasion of Friendship day will go a long way in telling your friends how much they mean to you.