Festival of Hindu, Raksha bandhan or Rakhi

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Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi

Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi

• is celebrated on Shravan Poornima (Udaya Tithi falling in mooring hours) day

• This festival is held by the end of Shravana i.e. August on the full moon day

• celebrated throughout India and Nepal as a festival where sisters tie colorful and decorative Rakhis on the wrist of brothers and receive gifts or money in return

• Sisters send Rakhis by post as well

• Packets containing Rakhi and sweets can be ordered by email

• This practice has also invaded Mithilanchal in a big way, just like cutting cakes on birthdays

• A cultural invasion so to say

• In Mithilanchal, the festival where sisters perform rites for the well being of brothers are: Bhratri Dwitiya and Sama



Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi

• So far Rakhi is concerned, it was a practice to offer Rakhis and sweets to the family goddess (Gosauin) in a special pooja on Shravan Poornima day and then the priest or the elder ties the Rakhi on the right wrist of males and left wrist of females (a practice not followed outside Mithilanchal)   after they have taken bath

• The family priest (Pundit) also brings Rakhi as prasad  and ties it on the wrist of Yajman and get some money (dakhina) in return

• People have started frowning upon this practice as a Brahminical rite but fail to realize the sense of blessing that it accompanies

• Formerly, the priests or the Brahmins tied sacred thread around the wrist of their Hindu followers (YAJMAN)

• But now this festival is fervently celebrated by the girls and ladies of Hindu community

• This festival is based on a mythological story

Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi

• Once, Lord Vishnu became the gatekeeper of King Vali to protect him from the attack of Indra

• Long absence of Lord Vishnu caused worries to Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu

• The sage Narad told Lakshmi that her husband had become the gatekeeper of king Vali
• Lakshmi went to the king Vali and tied the sacred thread around his wrist on this day
• Vali was very pleased and told Lakshmi to ask for anything as gift

• The wise Lakshmi asked for the release of her husband

• She also told Vali that Indra would do no harm to him since she had tied the sacred thread around his wrists and since that day this festival is celebrated all over India