Raksha Bandhan

Tuesday, 20 August 2013

Rakhi Gift Traditions

Gifts are an integral part of Rakhi celebrations. As per Indian tradition, Rakhi gifts are given by elder brothers to the sisters in acceptance of their raksha. They bless their sisters after the thread tying ceremony and give gifts. In the case of younger brothers, it is the sisters who give them gifts along with the Rakhi. The gifts given on Rakhi include sweets, dry fruits or clothes etc.

Of late, it has become customary for the sisters to gift something in return to the brothers, younger or elder. The reason for this change are the ever increasing distances. Rakhi gifts are an extended expression of love and affection that the siblings share.

One of the major changes that has occurred in Indian tradition of Rakhi gifts is that watches are gifted as Rakhis. Wrist watches are long lasting and are a constant reminder to the brothers of their love for their sisters . It is the most readily acceptable replacement among gifts for a Rakhi, as it is tied on the wrist and is useful.

Another recent Rakhi gift tradition are jeweled Rakhis. The bracelet type of Raakhi can be of gold or silver. It could be embedded with precious or semiprecious stones or, it could be a simple cut and carved bracelet. Such Rakhi or Rakhi Gifts are favoured for their durability and of course for the value of the jewels in the Rakhee.

Sweets and chocolates have always been a part of the gifts given on Rakhii. Dry fruits are a convenient alternative and more preferred these days as Rakhi gifts. Pen sets, shirts or tie or a jeweled tie pin are other nice Rakhi gift options.

So, this Raksha Bandhan, gift your brother something he loves. Gift him something that will remind the two of you of the lovely time spent together on Raakhi.

Rakhi Celebrations

In India, Rakhi celebrations are about strengthening the bond of love between brothers and sisters and fostering brotherhood. This festival is not a ritual, custom and tradition that can change over time but its style of celebration has become contemporary. Since ages, Raksha Bandhan is being celebrated in the same way. All the traditions are followed with the same enthusiasm. The gaieties have only blown up to a larger scale. Rakhi festival is the celebration of the chaste bond of love amongst the siblings.

Everyone start preparing for this festival much in advance. About a month before the commencement of raksha bandhan, you can see fancy and colorful rakhis in every market. Ladies start shopping for rakhi and rakhi gifts quite early. They shop for new clothes and beautiful rakhi gifts specially the one that have to be sent to their brothers staying far. Almost every shop, be it sweet shops, garment shops, gift shops, or any other shop, all are flooded with attractive rakhi gifts to attract people.

The celebration of Rakhi, in India, is well known for its carnival spirit and strengthening the bond of love between brothers and sisters. In fact, India is globally known for its colorful festivals and ever-green tradition. Celebrated with different rituals, family get-together and sweets, Raksha Bandhan is about sentiments, love and enjoyment. Like any other festival, rakhi has its unique significance.

On the day of Rakhi festival, the festivity of this auspicious day begin by the day break. After taking bath early morning, people get ready by wearing new clothes and gather for worshiping. After invoking the the blessings of the Gods, the sister performs brother’s arti, puts tika and chawal on his forehead and ties Rakhi amongst chanting of mantras. Sisters whole heartedly give sweets to their brothers to eat which in turns add more sweetness in the Raksha Bandhan celebration and pray for their well being. In return, brothers pamper their sisters and present beautiful gifts to lure them. They also promise to take care of her and stand by her side in any circumstances.

After performing all these rituals, the whole family reunion to enjoy and have fun. Then all of them share the delicious food, tasty sweets, gifts, music and dance. It is a day to remember all the memorable time spent together for those who, for any reason, are far away from their family. Emotions can also be expressed through e-mails, e-cards, rakhi greeting cards and rakhi through Internet. The overflowing emotions of siblings cannot be stopped on this day.

Rabindra Nath Tagore started gathering of people like 'Rakhi Mahotsavas' in Shantiniketan to propogate the feeling of brotherhood among people. He believed that the this will invoke trust and feeling of peaceful coexistence. Raksha Bandhan, for them, is a way to harmonize the relationship of humanity. The tradition continues as people started tying rakhis to the neighbor and friends.

How to Make a Rakhi?

Rakhi is the physical symbol of the emotions involved with the festival. The emotions of love, affection and care. It is the sentiments that matter on this day and what can be a better expression of the sisterly love than a self made rakhi.

1. Rakhi is generally a decorated silk thread. It may be a simple thread or it may be decorated with beads or designer motifs, religious symbols or even studded with jewels. Here are a few tip on how you can create your own rakhi.

Material required
1. Silk threads-multi-coloured
2. Cotton thread
3. Beads, sequins
4. Scissors
5. Glue
Take a bunch of silk threads, multicolored if you want a colorful rakhi. Red and yellow are considered auspicious colors. You can also use a strand or two of golden thread. The threads should be around 30" long. Fold the length of the thread bunch to half. Tie a tight knot at one fourth of the length using the cotton thread. Cut the loops of the folded thread and fluff the open ends with a hard brush.

Divide the longer part of the thread into two halves and plat them in desired way. Tie the ends with the cotton thread and fluff the open ends. These two strands will be used for the tying.

Decorate the upper part with sequins, beads or religious motifs. If you are using multicolored threads arranged in some specific way, cut them short to a suitable length not more than ½".

Essays on Rakhi

Feel the spirit of Raksha Bandhan festival with these beautiful essays on Rakhi contributed by our visitors! You may also exhibit love for your sibling by sending your reflections on Raksha Bandhan festival or a short paragraph on Rakhi. Your Raksha Bandhan essay will be posted on this website with due acknowledgment to you.

Rakhi is a sacred thread embellished with sister's love and affection for her brother. On the day of Raksha Bandhan, sisters tie rakhi on the wrists of their brothers and express their love to them. After receiving the rakhi from a sister, a brother sincerely takes the responsibility of protecting her sister. In Indian tradition, the frangible thread of rakhi is considered even stronger than an iron chain as it strongly binds a brothers and a sisters in the circumference of mutual love and trust.

Any Indian festival seems to be incomplete without the traditional Indian festivities, such as gathering, celebrations, exchange of sweets and gifts, lots of noise, singing and dancing. Festivals are the celebration of togetherness as being as a united family and the festival "Raksha Bandhan" is not an exception of this.

The love and self actuation towards a novel cause between a brother and his sister is the theme of this great festivals. It is a festival that is mainly celebrated by the people of Northern and Western part of India, but people from other parts also celebrate this festival with same alacrity. Although, the mode of celebration may differ from region to region, but the central theme of this great festival remain same.

As far as the traditions and rituals are concerned, sisters prepare the "pooja thali" with diyas, roli, chawal and rakhis. They worship the goddesses, ties rakhis on the wrists of their brother(s), and wishes for their well being. On the other hand, the brothers acknowledge their love with a promise that they will remain by their sisters' side and protect them from every fall and down throughout the life. Brothers also give token gifts to their sisters.

From ancient period of time, this festivals has been celebrated in the same manner and tradition. As the lifestyle of people has been changing with passing time, therefore, today, this festival is being celebrated elaborately. This day fosters a undying and divine relationship among the siblings. Far off physical location may sometime bring an abstract feeling among the siblings, and this auspicious day provides a link to bring them together. The joyous meeting, the rare family get- together, the erstwhile feeling of brotherhood and sisterhood call for a massive celebration.

The sisters tie a sacred thread of love to their brothers amongst chanting of mantras, put roli and rice on their forehead and pray for their well being. Sisters bestow their brothers with gifts and blessings. Brother also wish them a good life and pledge to take care of them. Brothers give their sisters return gifts. The gift is the acknowledgment of his love for his sister, reminder of their togetherness and a symbol of his pledge. There are several historical evidences, which remind us about the significance of this festival and every time, this festival emphasizes the same values which have been mingled along with the festival.

For those who are unable to visit one another, rakhi cards, e-rakhis and rakhis through mails become the modes of their communication and sharing of their love. Hand made rakhis and self-made rakhi cards are just a representation of the personal feelings of the siblings.

Well that is a kind of an end to the rituals but the celebrations begin after that. For the parents, Raksha bandhan festival is a mean of family reunion. Tasty dishes, wonderful sweets etc, are cooked on this day. Family members exchange gifts with other well wishers and relatives and share their individual experiences of life with one another.

The trivia of Raksha Bandhan is to bring people together just like the true spirit of all other Indian festivals.

Raksha Bandhan in History

The traditional Hindu festival 'Raksha Bandhan' (knot of protection) was came into origin about 6000 years back when Aryans created first civilization - The Indus Valley Civilization. With many languages and cultures, the traditional method to Rakhi festival celebration differs from place to place across India. Following are some historical evidences of Raksha Bandhan celebration from the Indian history.

Rani Karnawati and Emperor Humayun
The story of Rani Karnavati and Emperor Humayun is the most significant evidence in the history. During the medieval era, Rajputs were fighting Muslim invasions. Rakhi at that time meant a spiritual binding and protection of sisters was foremost. When Rani Karnawati the widowed queen of the king of Chittor realised that she could in no way defend the invasion of the Sultan of Gujarat, Bahadur Shah, she sent a rakhi to Emperor Humayun. The Emperor touched by the gesture started off with his troops without wasting any time.

Alexander The Great and King Puru
The oldest reference to the festival of rakhi goes back to 300 B.C. at the time when Alexander invaded India. It is said that the great conqueror, King Alexander of Macedonia was shaken by the fury of the Indian king Puru in his first attempt. Upset by this, Alexander's wife, who had heard of the Rakhi festival, approached King Puru. King Puru accepted her as his sister and when the opportunity came during the war, he refrained from Alexander.

Lord Krishna and Draupathi
In order to protect the good people, Lord Krishna killed the evil King Shishupal. Krishna was hurt during the war and left with bleeding finger. Seeing this, Draupathi had torn a strip of cloth from her sari and tied around his wrist to stop the bleeding. Lord Krishna, realizing her affections and concern about him, declared himself bounded by her sisterly love. He promised her to repay this debt whenever she need in future. Many years later, when the pandavas lost Draupathi in the game of dice and Kauravas were removing her saari, Krishna helped her divinely elongating the saari so that they could not remove it.

King Bali and Goddess Lakshmi
The demon king Mahabali was a great devotee of lord Vishnu. Because of his immense devotion, Vishnu has taken the task of protecting bali's Kingdom leaving his normal place in Vikundam. Goddess lakshmi - the wife of lord Vishnu - has became sad because of this as she wanted lord Vishnu along with her. So she went to Bali and discussed as a Brahmin woman and taken refuge in his palace. On Shravana purnima, she tied Rakhi on King Bali's wrist. Goddess Lakshmi revealed who she is and why she is there. The king was touched by Her and Lord Vishnu's good will and affection towards him and his family, Bali requested Lord Vishnu to accompany her to vaikuntam. Due to this festival is also called Baleva as Bali Raja's devotion to the Lord vishnu. It is said that since that day it has become a tradition to invite sisters on sravan pournima to tie sacred thread of Rakhi or Raksha bandan.

Rakhi: The Thread of Love

Rakhi: The Thread of Love

In India, festivals are the celebration of togetherness, of being one of the family. Raksha Bandhan is one such festival that is all about affection, fraternity and sublime sentiments. It is also known as Raksha Bandhan which means a 'bond of protection'. This is an occasion to flourish love, care, affection and sacred feeling of brotherhood.

Not a single festival in India is complete without the typical Indian festivities, the gatherings, celebrations, exchange of sweets and gifts, lots of noise, singing and dancing. Raksha Bandhan is a regional celebration to celebrate the sacred relation between brothers and sisters. Primarily, this festival belongs to north and western region of India but soon the world has started celebrating this festival with the same verse and spirit. Rakhi has become an integral part of those customs.

An insight of Rakhi Rituals
On the day of Rakhi, sisters prepares the pooja thali with diya, roli, chawal, rakhi thread and sweets. The ritual begins with a prayer in front of God, then the sister ties Rakhi to her brother and wishes for his happiness and well-being. In turn, the brother acknowledge the love with a promise to stand by his sister through all the good and bad times.

Sisters tie Rakhi on the wrist of their brothers amid chanting of mantras, put roli and rice on his forehead and pray for his well-being. She bestows him with gifts and blessings. In turn, brothers also wish her a good life and pledges to take care of her. He gives her a return gift. The gift symbolizes the physical acceptance of her love, reminder of their togetherness and his pledge. The legends and the reference in history repeated, the significance of the festival is emphasized.

Unconditional Bond of Love
Raksha bandhan has been celebrated in the same way with the same traditions for many years. Only the means have changed with the changing lifestyle to make the celebration more elaborate and lively. This day has an inherent power that pulls the siblings together. The increasing distances evoke the desire to be together even more. All brothers and sisters try to reach out to each other on this auspicious day. The joyous meeting, the rare family get-together, that erstwhile feeling of brotherhood and sisterhood calls for a massive celebration.

For everyone, it is an opportunity to reunion and celebrate. People also share tasty dishes, wonderful sweets and exchange gifts. It is a time to share their past experiences also. For those who are not able to meet each other, rakhi cards and e-rakhis and rakhis through mails perform the part of communicating the rakhi messages. Hand made rakhis and self-made rakhi cards are just representation of the personal feelings of the siblings.

Rakhi Celebrations