Raksha Bandhan

Today that is on 05th August in India and around the world where ever Indian community reside celebrating Raksha Bandhan festival and on that day sister’s tie Rakhi on the wrist of their brother’s and pray for long and happy life of their brother’s. In August month, on Shravan Purnima, Hindus all over celebrate Raksha Bandhan. "Raksha" means protection, "Bandhan" means bound or binding. In North India, the occasion is popularly called Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi, the tying of an amulet. On this day, sisters tie an amulet, the Rakhi, around the right wrist of their brother’s .When this festival begin? What’s the history behind this festival? Below coded some legends found in history books relating to Raksha Bandhan -
• In the Vedic period, on a 'Shravan Poornima' day (Full Moon Day of the Hindu month of Shravan), the deities and demons were fighting a battle against each other. Unfortunately the demons were in a stronger position, as compared to the deities. The king of the deities, Lord Indra, was very much worried about the result of the battle. His wife Indrani (also known as Shashikala) could not see him worried and prayed to the almighty to help her husband. Indrani was a religious lady, so she prepared a talisman with her religious power and tied it around Indra's right wrist. Indrani believed that her talisman will safeguard Indra from the attack of demons. Eventually, she proved right, as that day, the deities won the battle and Lord Indra escaped unhurt. As the talisman had the power of protecting the person who wore it, it came to be known as 'Raksha Sutra' and the ceremony of tying it was called 'Raksha Bandhan'. Since this particular act of tying the talisman took place on 'Shravan Poornima' day, it has become a tradition to celebrate 'Raksha Bandhan' on the 'Shravan Poornima' day every year. With time, the festival came to comprise of brother-sister duo, rather than husband-wife.
• According to another legend, Raksha Bandhan was a ritual followed by Lord Yama (the Lord of Death) and his sister Yamuna. Yamuna tied rakhi to Yama and bestowed immortality. Yama was so moved by the serenity of the occasion that he declared that whoever gets a rakhi tied from his sister and promised her protection will become immortal.
• According to another legend the Demon King Bali was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu had taken up the task to guard his kingdom leaving his own abode in Vaikunth. Goddess Lakshmi wished to be with her lord back in her abode. She went to Bali disguised as a Brahmin woman to seek refuge till her husband came back. During the Shravan Purnima celebrations, Lakshmi tied the sacred thread to the King. Upon being asked she revealed who she was and why she was there. The king was touched by her goodwill for his family and her purpose and requested the Lord to accompany her. He sacrificed all he had for the Lord and his devoted wife. Thus the festival is also called Baleva that is Bali Raja's devotion to the Lord. It is said that since then it has been a tradition to invite sisters in Shravan Purnima for the thread tying ceremony or the Raksha Bandhan.
• Another incident is the one from the epic Mahabharata that concerns Krishna and Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas. She had torn a strip of silk off her sari and tied it around Krishna's wrist 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 doing just that. Draupadi in spite of being married to 5 great warriors and being a daughter of a powerful monarch only trusted and depended wholly on Krishna.Krishna repaid the debt of love during "Vastra haran"(removing of clothes forcefully) of Draupadi. Draupadi's "Vastra Haran" was done in the assembly of King Dritrashtra, when Yudishter,her husband lost her in gamble, at that time Krishna indefinitely extended her sari, so it could not be removed, to save her pride. This is how he paid his debt towards rakhi tied to him by Draupadi.
• It is said that when Alexander invaded India in 326 B.C., his wife tied a Rakhi to the king Porus and in return, Porus promised to protect her and her husband. We also have various such examples of tying knots or threads, especially in the history of Rajputana. The most famous of them is the story of the Queen Karnavati of Chittor, who sent a Rakhi to the Mughal emperor Humayun, to save her kingdom from the invasion of Bahadur Shah of Gujarat. That particular day of Purnima was celebrated as Raksha Bandhan first in Marwar and then, all over Rajasthan. Finally, it came to celebrated all over India.
• In some places in medieval India, where women felt unsafe, they tied Rakhi round the wrists of men they could count upon, regarding them as brothers.
I have one real sister and seven cousin sister’s and when I was child all use to knot rakhi on to my wrist on Raksha Bandhan day but now as all are grown up and happily married, so now only real sister tie rakhi on every Raksha Bandhan day and this time as she moved abroad but send rakhi by post I wish her long life with world’s every happiness and health along with all the Brother’s and Sister’s who are celebrating Raksha Bandhan greet Happy and prosperous life.