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Raksha Bandhan- From the Golden Pages of History

Added: (Sat Jun 01 2019)

Pressbox (Press Release) - The festival of Raksha Bandhan is a testimony to the pious bond between siblings, secured with a thread as we know by the name of Rakhi. Raksha Bandhan is not just a festival but it is a feeling of privilege to be living and growing up with a person who has the exact same persona like you, background like you, and who will be there for you, anytime and every time, for anything and everything. Rakhi is a festival which marks the presence of the love, care, affection, empathy, and all that siblings share and cherish together.

It is a day for which the sisters do prior preparations like buy Rakhi online, send Rakhi online, decide the best Rakhi Gifts for their brothers and the brothers, in return, also take their sisters for Rakhi Shopping. But have you ever wondered how this day full of fun and frolic in the modern times, originated in ancient times? Well, let’s have a look at the same:

How the festival of Rakhi came into existence?

One of the most followed tales associated with Rakhi is the one associated with Lord Indra and his wife Indrani amongst all the other interesting tales and narratives on how the tradition of Raksha Bandhan initially began.
According to Hindu mythology, there was a war going on between the gods and the demons and the gods were on the verge of defeat. To seek a solution, distressed Lord Indra approached Brihaspati, his Guru, for advice. Guru Brihaspati suggested him to get his wife Indrani to tie a Rakhi on his wrist.

This is how began the tradition of Raksha Bandhan when Indrani tied the sacred amulet on Lord Indra’s wrist as a symbol of protection against the evils.

Another legend associated with this holy occasion is when Shachi (aka Indrani) consulted Lord Vishnu about Indra Dev being on the verge of defeat by the demon King Bali. Indra, the god of the sky and the rain, took this defeat on his ego and it acted as a major downfall for him.

At that time, Lord Vishnu gave a thread bracelet to Shachi and deemed it holy. Shachi was asked to tie this on Indra's wrist as a blessing. Consequently, Indra was able to retrieve all that had been lost and flawlessly defeat evil.

This incident in one of the first ancient texts in which it was suggested that the Rakhi threads have protective power. Since then, it is used as a symbol to guard men going to war. Also, these historical records prove that how Rakhi threads are not exclusive to just brother-sister bonds.

Since when has Rakhi been celebrated in India?

Back in 300 BC, one of the oldest references of Rakhi can be traced from the era when India had been invaded by Alexander. It is registered in the golden pages of history that Roxana, the wife of Alexander sent a sacred thread or a Rakhi to King Puru, who was furious about the conquest. Thereby, with this thread, she was requesting him to not to hurt her husband in battle.

It is said that it was because of that Rakhi on his wrist that Puru did not lay a finger on Alexander during the war & abided himself.

However, it is tough to pinpoint exactly when this joyous occasion originated as there are a number of historical references that have been made to Rakhi- some even during the era of Mahabharata!

How Rakhi was initially promoted in the modern era?

To promote peace and harmony between communities, Rakhi was advocated by Rabindranath Tagore during the time India was ruled by the British Empire. He treated it as something more than a symbol of love between siblings; it was rather a celebration of humanity, responsibility and fellow concern.

In order to strengthen the bond between Hindus and Muslims, Tagore made arrangements for the celebration of Rakhi, asking them to unite and fight against the British Empire when the government decided to divide the state of Bengal on the basis of caste and religion in 1905.

Since then, this joyous festival is celebrated with Rakhis and Rakhi Gifts. Children look forward to this day for its gifts and delicacies whereas, for the grown-ups, it's more about getting to go home and spending time with family. But with the technological advancements, one can also buy Rakhi online and send Rakhi online to the siblings living away from home.

Aarav Rakhis is a web portal which facilitates its patrons with proverbial services. You can send Rakhi to India, buy silver Rakhi, Kids Rakhi, and do Rakhi shopping from the comfort of your home.

Submitted by:Aarav Rakhis
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