Happy Raksha Bandhan 2013
On August 20th it is a very auspicious day for people residing in India and Hindus all over the world. The Indian Hindu celebration is called Raksha Bandhan, also known as Rakhi and referred to brother-sister day in the west.
Although Raksha Bandhan (Rakhi) is celebrated by Hindus and Indians all around the world it is most common with Hindus originating from the Northern states of India. The festival is marked by the tying of a rakhi (holy coloured thread) by the sister on her younger or older brothers wrist, therefore acquiring the name of brother and sister day. For people without brothers or sisters, they usually tie a rakhi on their sister cousin or brother cousin and sometimes even a friend. The brother then offers a present in the form of a gift or special gesture to his sister and vows to look after her as she presents indian sweets (also known as mithai) to her brother. The brother and sister traditionally feed one another mithai such as ladoo.
There are tales and folklores on how Raksha Bandhan began as a popular Indian festival and celebration such as the story from the ancient Mahabharat that concerns Krishna and Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas where she had torn a strip of thread/fabric off her sari and tied it around Krishna’s finger to stop the flow of blood. Krishna was so touched by her action that He found himself bound to her by love. He promised to repay the debt and then spent the next 25 years showing devotion. Draupadi, in spite of being married to 5 great warriors and being a daughter of a powerful monarch, trusted and depended wholly on Krishna. There is also much evidence of Raksha Bandhan during the medieval era, around the 15th century, there were many wars between the Rajputs and Islamic invaders. Is Rakhi is still relevant in modern society?
The Chakra team wishes everyone a Shubh Rakhi (Raksha Bandhan) and blessings to all brothers and sisters out there. We also would like to greet everyone on Amitabha Buddha day!
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