Raksha bandhan why we celebrate

About Raksha Bandhan Rakhi. Importance of Raksha Bandhan among various religions in India Hinduism- The festival is mainly celebrated by the Hindus in the northern and western parts of India along with countries like Nepal, Pakistan and Mauritius. Jainism- The occasion is also revered by the Jain community where Jain priests give ceremonial threads to the devotees. Sikhism- This festival devoted to the brother-sister love is observed by the Sikhs as "Rakhardi" or Rakhari. Origin of Raksha Bandhan Festival The festival of Raksha Bandhan is known to have originated centuries before and there are several stories related to the celebration of this special festival.

Some of the various accounts related to the Hindu mythology are described below: Indra Dev and Sachi- According to the ancient legend of Bhavishya Purana, once there was a fierce battle between Gods and demons. Lord Indra- the principle deity of sky, rains and thunderbolts who was fighting the battle on the side of Gods was having a tough resistance from the powerful demon King, Bali. The war continued for a long time and did not came on a decisive end.

Seeing this, Indra's wife Sachi went to the Lord Vishnu who gave her a holy bracelet made up of cotton thread. Sachi tied the holy thread around the wrist of her husband, Lord Indra who ultimately defeated the demons and recovered the Amaravati.

The earlier account of the festival described these holy threads to be amulets which were used by women for prayers and were tied to their husband when they were leaving for a war. Unlike, the present times, those holy threads were not limited to brother-sister relationships. The Lord accepted the requested and started living with the demon king.

So, she tied the rakhi around the wrist of demon king, Bali and made him a brother. Let us mark this day by tying rakhis to all and promise ourselves to treat other lives with impartiality and zero discrimination.

The market is full of attractive and fancy rakhis. Those colourful variants look very soothing. But are they eco-friendly? Therefore, we need to advance towards non-polluting and organic rakhis. Promoting the ideology of "vocal for local" needs to be implemented along with ecological rakhis. Festivals are carriers of peace and joy in the community. Other than merely celebrating we must also think about the weaker sections of society and try to bring a smile on their faces.

Buying rakhis from them, giving small gifts to them, and not just monetary help but politely talking to them and wishing them a good day can add on to this. Sign Up Log in. Ezyschooling Home. News News Homepage. Itika Gupta. This article has been reviewed by our panel. The points, views and suggestions put forth in this article have been expressed keeping the best interests of fellow parents in mind.

We hope you found the article beneficial. Related Articles. Impact of the Internet on Family Relationships Making Holi Colors at Home The community is here to help you with specific parenting problems. Here are the stories:. Indra Indrani: This legend tells us that Rakhi is a sacred thread of protection and it cannot only be tied to the brothers for protection, but also to the ones we love.

The story of Indra and Indrani takes place in the Vedic period when a battle of the gods and demons took place. Indrani, the companion of Indra, tied a sacred thread on the wrist of her husband for protection against the evil demons. Draupadi then bandaged his finger with a piece of cloth from her saree. Lord Krishna who was moved by her deed promised to protect her from all odds. Yama Yamuna: In this story, Yama tied a sacred thread on the wrist of her brother Yamuna to protect him from the curse of dead and mutilation from his stepmother, Chhaya.

He told his mother that he knew of her secret to which she got furious and gave this curse to him, which was lifted because of the thread. She then revealed herself and asked the king to free his companion, Lord Vishnu and let him return to Vaikunth. Lord Ganesha had two sons who asked him to bring a sister who would tie rakhi to them. Ganesha then created Santoshi Maa who tied rakhi to his sons. Raksha Bandhan is celebrated on the full moon day in the month of Shravan August according to the Hindu calendar.

This is why is the festival is also called Rakhi Purnima. There are many other festivals that are celebrated on this day by the different communities in India such as people in south celebrate Rakhi Purnima as Avani Avattam, and in some regions of North India, this day is celebrated as Kajari Purnima.

Following are some of the rituals and festivals celebrated across India on this day. Avani Avattam: This day is observed by the Brahmin community. They exchange threads called 'janeu' and pray to their ancestors for the forgiveness of their sins and give offerings to them to thank them for their teachings. Kajri Purnima: This is celebrated in the north and central part of India.

On this day farmers and mothers worship goddess Bhagwati for good crops and the well being of their son. Pavitropana: The devotees of Shiva make a thread from the mixture of panchgaivya and place it on the Shivalinga.

Nariyal Purnima: In the coastal regions of West India, fishermen celebrate this festival by offering nariyal or coconut to the Sea god, Varuna and pray for their good sea trade. Few days before Raksha Bandhan, sisters shop from one place to another in search of striking rakhi and sweets for their brothers. They also buy other things that are required for the ritual like roli chawal, pooja thali, coconut, etc.

The brothers, on the other hand, buy gifts for their sisters. On the day of Raksha Bandhan, everyone wakes up early and take a bath. They then perform puja and do the aarti of the Gods.