Raksha Bandhan relationships are the main essence of the celebration, and it holds all the Indian traditions, culture, and festivals. Each festival brings the family, relatives, and loved ones together, which creates a total festive environment. Raksha Bandhan- Raksha means “protection,” and Bandhan means” the knot or bond,” and their combination makes Protection of Bond. It does not matter, whether it sibling bond, mother bond, or the bond with society; it is our responsibility to protect the one who needs it.
Raksha Bandhan depicts the unbreakable love bond between a sister and a brother. It is a festival that shows an unconditional, long-lasting bond between siblings, and they pray for each other’s well-being and wish for each other’s happiness and goodwill. Kindly explore the blog and check out the rituals related to the most awaited festival, i.e., Raksha Bandhan.
Table of Contents
The Significance
Raksha Bandhan is now considered as a day to celebrate the sacred relation of a brother and a sister. Yet, there have been examples in history where rakhi has just been a Raksha or protection. A wife, a daughter, or a mother could tie it. The Rishis ties rakhi to the people who came to their blessings. The sages tie the sacred thread to themselves to safeguard them from odds. It is, by all means, Punya Pradayak Parva that bestows boons and ends all sins, as mentioned in the scriptures. Previously, the Rakhi festival encompasses the warmth shared between the siblings, but now it goes way beyond it. Many people love to tie rakhi to their neighbors and close friends, signifying a peaceful co-existence of every individual.
Story related with Raksha Bandhan
One of the more popular myths credited with this Raksha Bandhan is that of Lord Krishna and Draupadi. The legend says that during RajSuya Yagna, Krishna came to Yudhisthir place to complete some ritual. But Shishupal started abusing Lord Krishna. But at the end, Lord Krishna cut off his head by his Sudarshan Chakra, and in the process, he cut got a cut on his finger. Draupadi tore off a small part of her saree and tied it over Krishna’s finger. And in return, Krishna tells her that he is indebted to her and will repay her kind act when she needs him. Subsequently, when Draupadi’s disrobement took place in the Mahabharata, Krishna protected her, so she never ran out of cloth, meaning the Kauravas could not strip her.
How to perform the Raksha Bandhan:
Raksha Bandhan is not limited to sisters and brothers; even nowadays, we tie the holy thread on our sisters, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, friend’s wrist. This year Raksha Bandhan will fall on 30 August 2023. In this situation, you are living with your brother; you can make this auspicious event a special and memorable one by tying the designer rakhis and proper rituals. Let us know how to perform the Raksha Bandhan ritual.
After offering Puja to God, prepare Raksha Bandhan Thali. You can place pious Kalash with Mango leaf, flowers, and coconut place on it. Also, make a rangoli around the Kalash.
Ask your brother to sit on “Asana,” or you can also make any good sitting arrangement on the floor. You can also use a small rug or a carpet to make him sit and ask your brother to sit facing East and put a clean cloth or handkerchief over the head. Place Rakhi, Kumkum for Tilak, a small Diya, Akshat( rice mixed with turmeric), sweets, and petals of flowers.
Later on, sister, apply the Tilak on your brother’s forehead, but if you want to make Kumkum at your home, here is the method kindly check it:
Kumkum making method and performing Rituals @ Home:
You need to take two spoons of turmeric and mix it with one spoon of baking soda. Mix it well and add the juice of half-lemon. Later add two drops of any essence of ITTAR, mix all these substances and let it dry under the Sun for 2-3 hours. Eventually, it will turn red, and your Kumkum is ready.
After applying the Tilak on the brother’s forehead, wave Aarti thali with the diya in a circular motion, from the right-hand side three times, puts the Akshat with flower petals on his head. And then the sister ties sacred rakhi on the brother’s hand and offers them, sweets. And in return, he promises her to protect her dignity till his last breath. A brother gives her a return gift. And buying rakhi gifts for sisters is overwhelming, so choose the perfect gift based on her taste and preference.
Today, sisters also find a way to amaze brothers by offering tempting gifts on Raksha Bandhan. While there is a wide range of rakhi gifts in the market, choose personalized rakhi gifts for brothers on this rakhi season. If he is a hardcore chocolate lover, gift him a personalized Cadbury Raksha Bandhan box, a personalized cake, personalized caricature, photo frame, canvas to surprise him.
Celebrations
Due to the availability of rakhis and online rakhi gifts, it has become easier to strengthen the sibling bond irrespective of the distance and venue. Moreover, conference and video calls on the rakhi day allow us to connect easily with our siblings and loved ones who live far away.
Tradition:
All the Indian knows the importance of tying a rakhi on the auspicious day of Raksha Bandhan. A rakhi that is connected on the muhurat time succeeds in protecting our brothers from evil. During the ongoing tradition of rakhi, a sister chants the following prayers for her brother’s good health and well-being:
Prayer: “Yena Baddho Balee Raajaa Daanavendro Mahaabalah Tena Twaam Anubadhnaami Aakshe Maa Chala-Maa Chala”.
Meaning: “I tie you a Rakhi that was tied to the king Bali, the king of Demons, O Rakhi I pray that you never falter in protecting your devotee.”
How Raksha Bandhan is celebrated in different corner of India
Raksha Bandhan in Central India
In the Central regions, the occasion is celebrated in the name of “Kajari Purnima,” a festival of farmers and mothers. On this auspicious day, farmers worship their land, whereas the mother performs the special Pooja with their successors.
Raksha Bandhan in East India
In West Bengal and Odisha, the occasion is known as Jhulan Purnima, where people worship Lord Krishna and Radha. Sisters then tie beautiful rakhi on the hand of their brothers and wish for their excellent health. And, the “Rakhi Utsava” is quite popular in Shanti Niketan, and the festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm to promote universal brotherhood.
Raksha Bandhan in West India
In Gujarat, the festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm to promote universal brotherhood. Women worship Lord Shiva by pouring water, placing offerings on the Shivalinga, and asking for forgiveness for their past sins.
Raksha Bandhan in South India
The festival of Raksha Bandhan is celebrated in Maharashtra and other coastal areas in Naarali Poornima, where the people worship the sea. The fishermen community throws coconuts into the sea as offerings to the sea. And in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the auspicious day is celebrated as Avani Avittam that falls on the whole moon night during the month of Shravan. The festival is mainly for all the male members of the family, and Brahmins take a dip in the water and ask for atonement from all their past sins.
Final Verdict
Reestablish the love and bond between siblings with a splendid celebration on Raksha Bandhan. Keep the spirit of the rakhi festival alive by following the traditions and customs by giving it a modernized touch every year. Do not let this pandemic situation take away all the fun from your favorite #AtootBandhan.You can also visit reliable and honest online Rakhi gifting portals like Giftalove.com.
The site presents you wide variety of gift products; you get ample options to choose from. The site offers exceptional delivery services like same-day rakhi gift delivery, express day delivery, and next-day delivery.
Sakshi Ecavade is our in-house content developer having a good understanding about the gifting industry. She creates quality content surrounding flowers, chocolates, plants, cakes, and other products which makes excellent gifts for the people. Accurate and authentic information is what she tries to deliver through her blogs.