Raksha Bandhan: A Bond Beyond Relationship

Raksha Bandhan, also known as ‘Rakhi’ or the ‘Bond of Protection’ is a festival celebrated all over India that honors the purity of siblings’ relationships.

Every year the festival is celebrated on the ‘Purnima‘ (full moon) Night of ‘Sawan’ (Monsoon) month i.e. August. Sisters ties a sacred band on the wrist of her brothers which is known as ‘Rakhi‘ showing love and care. In return, the brothers promised his sisters to defend and support them for the rest of their life.

This ritual is followed for thousands of years and holds an important place in the hearts of people. Every year millions of Indians & outside world (especially the Hindu community) wait for this special day.

This year Raksha Bandhan is going to celebrate on 11th August 2022. But what does where it all start? And, what does it means in today’s world? Let’s dive deep in time to know more about the origin of the festival.

A Brief History of Raksha Bandhan

According to Hindu Mythology, this festival was started by Lord Krishna during the Mahabharata period (3rd century CE).

Once Lord Krishna got wounded by his ‘Sudarshan Chakra’ (disc of auspicious vision) and his finger got a deep cut as a result of it. Princess Draupadi the daughter of the Panchal Kingdom King Dhrupad saw Lord Krishna’s wound. She came to him and tear a piece of cloth from her dress and tied it to the finger of Lord Krishna to stop the blood from sippling.

After observing the loving and caring nature of Draupadi, Lord Krishna promised to protect her from any threat during her lifetime. As a result, after some time when Kauravas tried to harm the dignity of Draupadi, she recalled Lord Krishna.

Lord Krishna stood up for Draupadi and save her dignity from Kauravas. From that day Hindus started celebrating this day as a bond between siblings.

What Does Raksha Bandhan Actually Mean in Today’s World?

As I said, Raksha Bandhan is a festival of siblings’ relationships of love & care, but if we think it is beyond this. As we know that Lord Krishna inaugurated the meaning of Raksha Bandhan (bond of protection) by fulfilling his promise to Draupadi. But Draupadi was not her real sister, instead, he helped her out of love, out of care whenever she needed it.

So, the significance of Raksha Bandhan is much bigger than the bond between brother and sister. It is not hidden where we all stand in modern times.

With all that humans achieved, we still have a long way to walk. Gender disparity and injustice are increasing instead of so much technological advancement and development. There are many countries where people are suffering from molestation, less opportunity, education, and a patriarchal society. There are still many places where women don’t have a right to get an education and raise their voices against crime.

Therefore, we believe safety and love shouldn’t be restricted to some groups of people, instead everyone should enjoy their equal rights and freedom. Freedom where they can breathe free, live free, and speak freely. And, that’s only possible if we all learn to stand for each other.

The significance of Raksha Bandhan shouldn’t be limited to relationships between brother and sister. Instead, we should celebrate this festival with everyone whom we loved and care about. We should always try to support and uplift everyone who feels down and need a bit of help whether it’s your brother, mother, sister, spouse, stranger, friends, or anyone.

Because everyone deserves love, care, and affection and I hope lord Krishna also wants us to do the same.

Happy Raksha Bandhan! Also, if you have a brother or sister, tell them you love them every day.

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