Raksha Bandhan, a festival considered to be a trust, more than a promise. It is celebrated on an auspicious day when there’s Purnima (a full moon) according to the Hindu month of Shravana, because of which this festival is also known as Rakhi Purnima.
THE BOND OF PROTECTION
A bond is a feeling of love, emotions and memories. Lack of bonding can lead to insecurities and fear that may lead to distorting goodness and creativity in some. Therefore, Raksha Bandhan is celebrated to show the commitment one has towards another. It’s acts as an assurance that there’s someone to protect you, no matter what! Raksha Bandhan is translated to ‘Raksha’ meaning “protection” and ‘Bandhan’ meaning “a bond”, expressing that Raksha Bandhan is a knot that describes the protection that one has in their bond with the other person.
THE HISTORY
There are many loosely translated stories to why Raksha Bandhan is celebrated. Like, the story of King Porus and Roxana or the story of Yama (the lord of death) and his sister – Yamuna. And one of these stories include a story from Mahabharata where Lord Krishna had promised Draupadi that he would protect her from all sorts of evil throughout his life, because when Lord Krishna was hurt and started bleeding, Draupadi had torn a price of cloth from her saree and tied it on his finger. This piece of cloth was considered as a sacred thread.
THE CELEBRATION
Traditionally, the sister ties a thread (The Rakhi) on the wrist of her brother symbolizing her faith in him and her prayers for his long life to which the brother promises to keep her happy and to protect her under any circumstances by giving her a gift as a token of love and gratitude.
THE IMPORTANCE
Raksha Bandhan is an important Hindu festival. It is an Indian Celebration of the beautiful relationships that play an essential role in our lives. The moments that turnout being priceless experiences. It particularly was known to symbolize the relationship between brothers and sisters, but is it relevant in today’s generation?
THE RELEVANCE
In today’s Generation of the Millennials' and GenZs', the festival is still equally valued but in a new Avatar. A trend that describes the bond between any two people and can also be a women tying Rakhi to another women, a sister to her sister or a brother to his brother, a mom to her daughter/son, sister in laws. Rakhi is used to symbolize the love, the bond and the trust they have towards protecting one another. Thereof, it is celebrated by tying Rakhi to someone who provides support and trust to one and need not necessarily be a brother.
THE PRESENT
With the progression in technology, fashion being relevant in the society, people have given Raksha Bandhan a makeover. Rakhis are made customizable, with a brand new style, new designs and more. And e-commerce platforms facilitate the possibility of delivering Rakhi’s across countries and borders to their doorsteps.
“Relationships are the essence of celebrations and Raksha Bandhan is an emotional bond of love.”
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