RAKSHA BANDHAN
The Festival of Brothers and Sisters This festival of love between brothers and sisters is a major Hindu festival which falls on the full moon day in the month of Shravana in north India. It ismarked by sisters tying a protective amulet on the wrist of their brothers for their long life and protection. Raksha literally means `protective` and bandhan means `binding`. Raksha Bandhan is the festival of tying the protective amulet and celebrates the love between a brother and sister. It falls on the day preceeding the full moon night in the month of Shravana. Sisters tie a rakhi on the wrists of their brothers and pray for their long and healthy life. The brothers on their part pledge to protect their sisters against any danger. The festival is restricted to north Indian households. Like any other festive day, on Raksha Bandhan too, houses are cleaned. The day begins with puja after the customary bath. Sisters then prepare a puja thali, which is a plate containing a betel leaf, betel nuts, rice grains, sandal paste, vermillion, some sweets and a rakhi. On the plate also reposes an oil lamp. The betel leaf and the betel nuts symbolise long life, the sandal paste bravery, and the diya symbolises the eternal nature of relationships between a brother and sister. The rice grains are a symbol of happiness and joy. The sister then performs the arati for the brother and applies a tilak of sandal paste or vermillion and rice grains on his forehead. She then ties the rakhi on his wrist and gives him some sweets to eat. Traditionally, the sister does not eat anything before tying the rakhi; she breaks her fast by accepting some sweets from her brother after the ceremony. The brother, on his part,gives her some money or a gift according to his means. In India the postal department works overtime to deliver rakhis on time. The market places too buzzes with activity a few days before the festival. Craftsmen summon up all their creativity in making rakhis, which are available in all shapes, sizes and colours. They are made as traditional silken threads and also as more elaborate flowers made of felt, sponge,coloured paper or embroidered cloth. The origin of this custom is found in the Puranas. However the recent form of this festival is different from what it used to be in the Puranic times. According to some scholars, the origin of this festival can be traced to social relations that formed the basis of astable society. Most ancient and medieval societies were founded on the principles of the protector and protected: a king (or government) and the subjects. The protector, however was not easily available and accessible and thus a ritualistic custom had to beinvented to reinforce the hierarchical ties between the two. Raksha Bandhan (according to the Puranas, Rakshikabandhanas) was one such custom, which helped in the smooth functioning of society. It was believed that on this day, one should have a protective amulet tied. Accordingly, Brahmins tied a rakshita on the wrist of people of all castes to the recitation of a protective mantra. And they were given a handsome donation for this service. The rakshita was believed to protect against any calamity or danger for a whole year. But like most other Hindu festivals, this one too had its roots in mythology from the Puranas. And because of its divine connotations, it was celebrated with vigour and enthusiasm. According to a legend in the Bhavishyottara Purana, Indra`s wife tied a Rakshikasutra on his arm which allowed him to emerge victorious against the asuras. The time of the year when this festival occurs is also apparently of great importance. During the rainy months, when this festival is observed, one is more prone to danger and natural calamities, by way of floods or snake bites. It was hence considered appropriate to have a `protective ceremony` during this time. Around the 17th century, however, the connotations of this festival changed to an expression of affection between brothers and sisters. The origin of this change is very difficult to trace. Many regional myths and folklore seem to have contributed to it.The central idea behind the festival, though, remained the same: it was stilla symbol of protection and affection. One of the most interesting and baffling myths comes from the Markandeya Purana. One day Yama, the god of death, and his sister Yami were walking down the avenues of Mrityuloka, the world of the dead. Suddenly, Yami felt sexually aroused, after being hit by the arrow of Kama who was up to his usual mischief. Not finding any man near her, she asked Yama to satisfy her desires. Enraged, Yama chastised her for her incestuous feelings and left immediately. Later Yama realised that Kama was responsible for this episode and cursed him. He stated that Kama would be unable to meet his wife for a year and would have to perform severe penanceto atone for his sin. Yama then tied arakshita around her wrist to protect her from all unwanted and undesired things. This myth provides a possible?clue to the change in this festival. The Dharmashastras explicitly forbid a sexual union between a brother and sister born of the same mother. Any such incident had to be followed by penance and punishment. In fact one of the tenets of later Hindu world was to stop incestuous relationships as they were thought to degrade the moral standard of society. This was extremely difficult, for the Puranic myths and legends seemed to legitimise incestuous relationships like Brahma marrying his daughter, Sarasvati; Krishna having a relationship with Radha, who was his aunt; and Shiva sleeping with his mother Shakti. To stop such practises in society, the Dharmashastras forbade any liasion between a brother and sister, mother and son, or father and daughter. And it was definitely this attempt that led to the popularity of Raksha Bandhan in its present form. There are many popular legends linked to this festival. According to a Rajasthani folktale, once upon a time there was a girl who had no brothers.On Raksha Bandhan, when the other girls were tying rakhis on the wrists of their brothers and offering them sweets, she felt very lonely. Weeping, she lamented that there was no one to accept her rakhi. Her mother tried to pacify her but she would not be consoled. Eventually she wiped away her tears. Taking a rakhi, she told her mother that she was going to offer it to Ganesha. She went to the temple and requested the god to accept her offer. After she had sat before him with folded hands for a long time, the god acquiesced and left his throne. The girl was delighted and invited Ganesha home. Seeing her daughter return with the god, her mother was speechless. She humbly offered whatever was in the house to her godly son. Satisfied Ganesha left, and the next morning when they awoke, the girl and her mother found themselves lying on golden cots with thick cushions, attended by angels in a palatial home. This story also illustrates another contemporary aspect of Raksha Bandhan: of adopting someone as a brother who is not related. It is quite common now adays for a girl to adopt a classmate in school or college as a brother by tying a rakhi on him. In a similar fashion, boys also adopt sisters. Although some of these relationships are established to enable young men and women to meet in a somewhat conservative society, many of these bonds are treated with great reverence by both parties all through their lives. One facet of the relationship between a brother and sister that has endured from ancient times is its sanctity. Indian history is littered with examples of brothers who honoured their rakhi pledge by sacrificing their lives. During the Mughal period, many Rajput princesses sent rakhis to Muslim rulers, whom they wanted to befriend and accept as protectors of their kingdom. Humanyun received a rakhi from Karmavati, the queen of Chittor, asking him to help her fight the king of Gujarat. To honour the rakhi, Humayun left his state to a rebellious chieftain, unsure of whether he would have a kingdom to return to. Today Raksha Bandhan has crossed the bonds of religion to emerge as a truly secular festival.