|
COME August and one sees stalls upon stalls in various kinds
of shops, big and small, all across the country filled up
with Rakhis (entwined silken or golden threads
generally adorned by beads) of all kinds, some with heavy
embellishments and some very simple ones, to be tied on
the wrists of men. And women from all age and social brackets
throng to these stalls and purchase these rakhis to be tied
on the hand of their brothers and sometimes even fathers
on the day of Raksha Bandhan.
The
same occasion is also taken due advantage of by young women
who tie Rakhis around the guys who have been making
unsolicited advances, the thread tying up their passion
in the bargain!
So, what exactly is the power of this thread
and what does Raksha Bandhan mean? Raksha
is the Sanskrit term for protection and Bandhan signifies
a tie or relationship, so Raksha Bandhan in effect signifies
a bond of protection between the two.
It
is believed that when a woman ties a rakhi to the wrist
of a man on the festive day of Raksha Bandhan, he
becomes obligated to protect and help her throughout his
life span. But the bond of protection is not a one way process.
The Rakhi is thought to have a dual effect. For the man
the rakhi ensures protection by the heavenly forces. In
fact, this is the reason that during times of war, women
have tied rakhis to unknown soldiers so that they are victorious
and successful in protecting the nation. These emotive scenes
have been caught on camera when during the 1971 Indo-Pak
war women had come out in hordes tying rakhis to all soldiers
going towards the battlefront.
When one casts an eye on events around
the world, which are of similar notion, the closest that
comes is the occasion of Friendship Day. The Day that is
quite popular in the western world where friends affirm
their friendship and find new ones.
But during Raksha Bandhan it is the involvement
of the complete Indian system - right from all members of
the family to the environment at work places and the atmosphere
of happiness on the streets - that lends a halo to this
day of symbolic reverence. When one chances on a man on
the street with an armful of these threads with dials of
various sizes, one immediately feels the bigness of the
heart of the man and the fact that he has responsibilities
of looking after so many sisters. Unlike any other similar
event, this is a day of purity, of quite contemplation and
of reminding oneself of the importance of the roles in society.
According to the Hindu legends, Indrani,
the wife of Indra, King of the Gods, first initiated this
sort of a bond of protection. At the time of a huge battle
between the Gods and the demons, the latter seemed to be
having the upper hand; this is when Indrani decided to do
something about it. She prepared a Rakhi and tied it around
her husband's wrist, to ensure that he would not only be
protected from attacks by the demons but would also emerge
victorious. And true enough, Indra and the Gods won the
battle. So on a symbolic note the rakhi (thread) is also
a talisman ensuring protection of the righteousness from
the forces of evil. It is believed that the tying of rakhi
brings health, wealth, happiness and victories.
Another legend has it that once Yudhishthir,
the eldest son of King Pandu and one of the five Pandav
brothers asked Sri Krishna, how could he guard himself against
impending evils and catastrophes in the coming year. To
this Krishna asked him to observe Raksha Bandhan.
The same Sri Krishna was once injured on
his hand and blood was oozing out when Draupadi, the wife
of the Pandavs, tore a portion of her garment and tied it
around his wound. For Krishna this signified Raksha Bandhan
and he immediately took Draupadi as his sister. In fact,
it was Sri Krishna, Draupadi called out to when she was
being derobed by the Kaurav (second cousins of the Pandavas
and their sworn enemies) prince Dushashan in the middle
of the court after her husband Yudhishthir gambled and lost
her in a game of chess. And ultimately Krishna protected
her honour.
| Cross-religion
observance |
Raksha
Bandhan is one festival that is observed by Hindus and non-Hindus
alike. History has it that during the Mughal era (which
lasted from the 12th century AD till the 19th the century
AD), the Sultan of Gujarat attacked the Hindu kingdom of
Mewar. This is when the queen of Mewar Karmavati decided
to seek the help of Humanyun, the second Mughal ruler of
India and father of the great Mughal King Akbar. She sent
a Rakhi to Humanyun asking for his help. Although, in other
circumstances Humanyun would not have helped a Hindu Rajput,
but he decided otherwise. However, unfortunately, he didn't
manage to reach on time and by the time he arrived, the
Queen had already performed Jauhaar (the act stepping
into fire) along with other Hindu women to protect their
honour.
This
probably was the beginning of a cross-religious observance
of this festival. And even today a lot of non-Hindus follow
the custom of Raksha Bandhan.
According
to another story carried from time immemorial, All conquering
Greek King Alexander's wife also sent a Rakhi to the Indian
Prince Porus asking him not to slay her husband in battle.
And the great Hindu king responded and refrained from killing
Alexander when such an occasion presented itself in the
course of the battle.
|
When and how is it celebrated
|
The
festival of Raksha Bandhan falls on the Rakhi Purnima day
(generally in the month of August and sometimes late July).
This is the full moon day in the month of Shravan
according to the Hindu calendar.
Across
the four corners of the nation, the day holds regional specific
significance. In the Northern part of the country, this
day is observed as they day to sow wheat or barley. On this,
which is also called Kajri Purnima or Kajri Navami, people
offer a special prayer to Goddess Bhagwati (a form of the
Goddess Durga, one of the prominent Goddesses of the Hindu
pantheon, who is also revered as the slayer of asurs
or demons).
In
Western India, Rakhi Purnima is also called Nariyal (coconut)
Purnima.
This
day is observed as Shravan Purnima in Southern states of
India and is especially important for the Brahmins (the
priests).
In
Bengal, Rabindranath Tagore introduced this tradition in
Shantiniketan, an institution set up by the great poet,
with the aim of fostering love between people of all sects
and religions.
Some
of the other names for Raksha Bandhan are Vish Tarak
(the destroyer of venom), Pap Nashak (destroyer
of all sins) and Punya Pradayak (one that bestows
boons)
 On
this day, women get up early in the morning, take a bath
and wear their finest clothes. A thal (plate) is
prepared on which they put the Rakhi, a diya (earthen
lamp), water, roli (red threads), rice, vermilion or turmeric
powder and some sweets. Then the Rakhi is tied around the
wrist and the sisters perform aarti (a hymn sung
to the Gods to ask for blessings. The process of doing the
same is lighting a lamp and chanting the aarti with
the lamp in the hand) after applying a tilak (application
of vermilion or turmeric mixed with 2-3 grains of rice and
water on the forehead). The tilak is put at the centre
point between the two eyebrows. It is said that the tilak
indicates the point at which the spiritual eye opens.
After this they offer sweet to their brothers, who in turn
give them a gift or money so that the sister can buy something
of her choice.
In
the modern avatar of this festival, sisters tie rakhis mainly
around their brothers and other male cousins' wrists. Some
woman also tie rakhis to men who are not related, but whom
they consider to be like a brother(s).
In a world full of crisis and strife, these
kind of rituals hold the key to peaceful existence. The
auspicious day of Raksha Bandhan can be used as a potent
tool for social change, which could ultimately envelop everyone
in a permanent bond of love and friendship.
|
