Raksha means Protection.
Bandhan means specifically A Bond.
Thus, Raksha Bandhan means “A Bond of Protection”. Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi Poornima is one of the most popular and oldest festivals of India. This festival is celebrated to honour the beautiful relationship between a brother and a sister. It is celebrated on the month of Sravana (July/August) as per the Hindu calendar on the full moon day. On this day, the brothers and sisters wear new clothes, the family members prepare various kinds of delicious food and decorate their homes. The sister ties a threaded amulet called a rakhi around her brother’s wrist. The rakhi symbolizes the beautiful bonding and love between the brothers and their sisters. The brother then gives her a gift as a token of love.
Origin of Raksha Bandhan
There are numerous stories associated with this special festival.
In the Mahabharata, when Lord Krishna cut his finger, Draupadi tore off a piece of her saree and tied the cloth around his finger.
In Srimad Bhagavatam, Lord Vishnu, impressed by Bali, one of his devotees love and devotion towards him, fulfilled his wish and promised to become his doorkeeper. Goddess Lakshmi got worried and in order to bring her husband back, took the form of an old woman and approached Bali for help and tied a thread around his arm. Bali asked what he could give her in return and she pointed her finger towards his doorkeeper and requested him to return her husband.
In 326 BCE, when Alexander the Great , the king of a Greek empire invaded India, his wife Roxana sent a thread/rakhi to King Porus/Purushottam, an emperor of Punjab requesting him to not harm her husband in the battle. Porus accepted her request and didn’t kill Alexander. Though Porus lost the battle, he gained respect from Alexander and was made the Governor of part of his kingdom.
During the Mughal era, it is believed that Queen Karnavati of Chittoor also had sent a rakhi to Emperor Humayun in order to get protection and help from Bahadur Shah who was invading her kingdom and Humayun is believed to have helped her.
On the same full moon day of the Sravana month, Balram Jayanti is also celebrated along with Raksha Bandhan. Lord Balram was the elder brother of Lord Krishna and was his biggest companion and supporter. On this day, people worship Lord Balram and pray to him to protect them in every path of their lives.
The Crazy Creatives team wish you all a very Happy Raksha Bandhan. Scroll down for an exciting contest on this special occasion. 😃
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