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.

Changes in traditions of Rakhi

The festival of Raksha Bandhan has undergone various changes with the onset of time. Traditionally of Hindu origin, the festival is now celebrated by people of all religions and ethnicities. Muslims, Jains and Sikhs participate whole heartedly in this festival.

On the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, the brother visits his sister and she performs pooja and ties the sacred thread Rakhi around his wrists. In return, the brother takes a vow to protect and safe guard her and present her with gift. But nowadays this custom is not limited to real or blood brothers and sisters. People tie the sacred thread and present gifts to anyone whom we consider as sisters and brothers.

Rakhi itself has gone through many changes itself. An interesting change is the concept of gifting wristwatches in the place of rakhis and the traditional silk threads has made way to Designer and Fancy Rakhis. These rakhis are a modern embellishment to age old traditions; they come in the form of traditional rakhis but with special designs and adornments. They are more long lasting, attractive and woven with special threads. Prior to this festival, the markets are flooded with these designer threads and online fancy rakhi too is available to cut costs and save time. One can buy Fancy Rakhi online easily and have them delivered to a destination anywhere in the country. They can also be ordered with complementary flowers and other gifts. Even with these changes, the essence of sister-brother relationship still remains the same for Rakshabandhan.