Raksha Bandhan is the unique Indian festival meant to
sweeten the ties of brother and sister. It usually falls in late August.
The main ritual consists of tying the 'rakhi' knot on to a brother's
wrist. 'Raksha Bandhan' literally means 'Bond of protection' and implies
that while the sister prays to God for the well being and prosperity of
her brother, the brother vows to protect her against all the evils of
the world and help her in all the problems. On this day, sisters bathe
early and wear new clothes. They do not eat or drink anything until they
perform the 'aarti' of their brothers wishing the best for him, adorn
their heads with red vermillion 'tikka', tie rakhi on his wrist and
sweeten their mouths with speciall prepared sweets and delicacies.
Brothers on the other hand, give token gifts in kind or cash to their
brothers and pledge to be their protector forever. The festival seeks to
celebrate the affectionate ties between siblings of opposite sex. Raksha
bandhan or the festival of 'rakhi' also asserts the ties of married
women with their natal homes and that their brothers are still there for
her assistance. Today, the practice has taken a more universal and
humanitarian form when women and girls tie rakhis to the soldiers, the
jailed convicts or other abandoned social sects to make them feel loved
and wanted. They also tie 'rakhi' to the Prime Minister's wrist to
extract the promise of protection from him. Especially in northern and
western India, many girls tie rakhi around the wrists of boys and men
who have no sisters and treat them as their 'god-brothers'.
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Festivals of India |
