Introduction
Raksha means Protection. Bandhan means Bond
Raksha Bandhan is a Hindu festival which celebrates the relationship between brothers and sisters. Sisters tie a Rakhi(a holy thread) around their brothers' wrists. The brother in return offers a gift to his sister and vows to look after her. This festival is typically an occasion for celebration by the whole family.
It is not necessary that the rakhi can be given only to a blood brother - any male can be "adopted" as a brother by tying a rakhi on the person. Indian history is replete with women asking for protection, through rakhi, from men who were neither their brothers, nor Hindus themselves. Rani Karnavati of Chittor sent a rakhi to the Mughal Emperor Humayun when she was threatened by Bahadur Shah of Mewar. Humayun abandoned an ongoing military campaign to ride to her rescue.
Raksha Bandhan is celebrated on the full moon of the month of Shraavana. In the year 2006 it fell on the 9th of August.
The rakhi may also be tied on other special occasions to show solidarity and kinship (not necessarily only among brothers and sisters), as was done during the Indian independence movement
Origins
The origin of the festival is mostly attributed to one of following mythological incidents:
1. The Bhavishya Purana refers to a battle between Indra’s & Vritra - Indra, the king of devtas, had lost his kingdom to the asura Vritra. At the behest of his Guru Brihaspati, Indra's wife Sachi tied a thread charged with sacred mantras for protection around her husband's right wrist to ensure his victory in the upcoming duel.
2. Another popular mythology is Draupadi and Krishna during the Rajsuya Yagya - After Shishupal's death, Krishna was left with a bleeding finger. Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas, had torn a strip of silk off her sari and tied it around Krishna's wrist to staunch the flow of blood. Touched by her concern, Krishna had declared himself bound to her by her love. He further promised to repay the debt manifold, and spent the next 25 years of his life doing just that. For all that Draupadi was the daughter of a powerful monarch, sister to a legendary warrior, and wife to five warrior princes, Krishna remained the only man she could ever truly depend on.
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