"Raksha Bandhan " ( Rakhi) INDIAN ( India) Festival

Raksha Bandhan Festival

¤ A Pure Bond The pure bond of love and affection between a brother and a sister is one of the deepest and noblest of human emotions. The ritual is observed on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Shravan. This thread, which vibrates with sisterly love and virtuous sentiments, is rightly called the 'Rakhi'. A "bond of protection". Raksha Bandhan is a divine festival not only sisters tie the holy threads to their brothers, Priests tie to people of his congregation. During ancient times, if a woman tied a Rakhi on the hand of any man, then it became essentially important for him, as his religious duty of the highest order, to protect that woman. That man would put his life at stake to protect the honor of that woman. Many Rajput Kings sacrificed their lives to protect their spiritual sisters. Humayun the great Mughal Emperor received a Rakhi from the queen Karmavati of Chittor and for that, Humayun carried out his sacred brotherly duty and protected her by opposing his own soldiers.



¤ The Following Traditions People are committed to protect each other and the society in such congregational Rakhi Utsavs, popularized by the Nobel laureate Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore. Rakhis are decorated with soft silky threads of various colors, and also with ornaments, pictures, gold and silver threads etc. These Rakhis enhance the artistry of the people. Rituals like Rakhi, help ease out various strains relations, induce fellow-feeling, give ways for communications and enhance an opportunity to rework on our role as human beings, most significantly, brings delight in our monotonous lives.



¤ The Festival Celebrations According to Indian traditions, the festival rituals follows as chanting of sacred sonnet (Mantras), sanctified with rice, red color ( roli) etc. The sister dressed in their typical Indian attires serves her brother by putting Tilak (red color) on his forehead added with raw rice. Then she ties Rakhi thread on her brother's wrist and offers him with the plate of sweets, here - the brother become obliged to protect her sister under any circumstances. It is said that this protection thread protects from sins on the one hand and removes diseases on the other hand. By tying this thread, one is secured for the entire year and all kinds of fears are removed.


¤ A Modern Version of Rakhi Friendly Knot In today's world the fashionable friendship band in vogue has become an extension of the Rakhi custom. When a girl feels a friend of the opposite sex has developed a kind of love too strong for her to reciprocate, she sends the guy a Rakhi and turns the relationship into a sisterly one. This is one way of saying, "let's just be friends", without hurting the other person's soft feelings for her.



¤ An Auspicious Feeling This ritual not only strengthens the bond of love between brothers and sisters, but also transcends the confines of the family. When a Rakhi is tied on the wrists of close friends and neighbors, it underscores the need for a harmonious social life, where every individual co-exists peacefully as brothers and sisters.