Raksha Bandhan, Fiesta of Bonding

Our festivals in India are celebrated to bring hearts together and enjoy to the fullest. Raksha Bandhan is also one of such festival of sentiments, affection and fraternity. This is also known as ‘Bond of Protection’. This festival is celebrated to bestow the brotherhood feelings. In India not festival is complete without gatherings, sweets, gifts, dance and music. Being a religious festival this is celebrated between sisters and brothers. First this festival was majority celebrated in the northern part of our country but now it is celebrated all over India which great enthusiasm and spirit. Rakhi has now become the important part of the customs followed in our country. On this auspicious day sisters prepare a pooja thali for their brother that includes rice, diya, thread and sweets. The custom starts up with praying God, and then the sister ties up Rakhi on brother’s wrist and wishes his well being and happiness. In turn the brother promises his sister to stand beside her in all bad and good times by acknowledging her love.

Raksha Bandhan is celebrated in almost all parts of India like Maharashtra, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar and many more since ages, though the type of celebrations have changed due to changes in lifestyle to make the celebrations more exotic and enjoyable. Relationships are the backbone of any festival that is celebrated in India. In today’s state of affairs, the day bears a diverse perception. The event engages a vow of life-time follow of cultural, spiritual values and moral. The morals and the emotions close to the customs of this fiesta are worth infusing by the entire human race, the attitude of harmony and diplomatic coexistence.

This auspicious festival takes place in the month of Shravan; different people celebrated it in various ways according to their customs and traditions. Every festival that we celebrate in our country as some or other legend behind it, the myth behind Raksha Bandhan is that during the war between the demons and the Gods, Brutra the king of demons was on the urge of taking over the war, so for getting to a solution on this Indra approached Guru Brihaspati, on this Guru Brishapati asked Indra to tie a sacred thread on his hand on Shravan Poornima, on this day Indra’s Queen called Irdrani tied that thread on his hand. There are many legends attached to this

festival.

Different religions bear varied beliefs, in the Western Ghats this is an offering offered to the Lord of Sea, Lord Varuna by throwing coconuts into the sea, this day is also called as Narali Poornima as this also marks the start of the season for fishing. In Southern part of India Raksha Bandhan is called as Avani Avittam which is the important festival for Brahmins, in Northern Part it is called as Kajari Purnima. In Gujarat there is a ceremony called as Pavitropana on the day of Raksha Bandhan.

The current scene of Raksha Bandhan is very much changed the fun and frolic is more now a days sisters tie Rakhi on their brothers hand and demand gifts from them, even for small kids there are cartoon Rakhis so that they can feel excited about the Rakhi tied on their hand. This festivity brings up joy and togetherness in the family.