Alochana-Rakshan Bandhan

Dear readers,

Wish you all a very happy Raksha Bandhan Day (Rakhi).

Here are some stories about the origin of this festival.

Enjoy today with loved ones!

Regards,

Souvik

Origins
The origin of the festival is mostly attributed to one of following mythological incidents:
1. Indra's fight with Vritra - Indra, the king of devtas (gods), had lost his kingdom to the asura (demon) Vritra. At the behest of his Guru Brihaspati, Indra's wife Sachi tied a thread around her husband's wrist to ensure his victory in the upcoming duel.
2. Draupadi and Krishna during the Rajsuya yagya - After Shishupal's death, Krishna was left with a bleeding finger. Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas, had torn a strip of silk off her sari and tied it around Krishna's wrist to staunch the flow of blood. Touched by her concern, Krishna had declared himself bound to her by her love. He further promised to repay the debt manifold, and spent the next 25 years of his life doing just that. For all that Draupadi was the daughter of a powerful monarch, sister to a legendary warrior, and wife to five warrior princes, Krishna remained the only man she could ever truly depend on.

History of Raksha bandhan
Rani Karnawati and Emperor Humayun The ealiest origins of Rakshabandhan in documented history can be traced to the medieval era. During this period the Rajputs were fighting Muslim invasions. Rakhi at that time was a spiritual symbol associated with protection of the sister. History has it that when Queen Karnawati the widow of the then King of Chittor realised that she could in no way defend the invasion of the Sultan of Gujarat, Bahadur Shah, she sent a rakhi to Emperor Humayun. The Emperor touched by the gesture, accepted the rakhi thereby accepting Queen Karnawati as a "sister" and immediately started off with his vast troops to protect Queen Karnavati.

Alexander The Great and King Puru One of the oldest reference to the festival of Rakhi goes back to 300 B.C. At this time Alexander the Great, was invading India. It is said that the great conqueror, King Alexander of Macedonia was shaken by the fury of the Indian king Puru in his first attempt. Upset by this, Alexander's wife, who had heard of the Rakhi festival, approached King Puru. King Puru accepted her as his sister and when the opportunity came during the war, he refrained from fighting Alexander.

The Legend of Raksha bandhan
There are innumerable references to the significance of the Rakhi festival in Hindu mythology.

Vrita-Indra

The origin of this festival is usually traced back to the mythological incidents of Indira's fight with Vritra-Indra that resulted in Indra's (king of the Gods) loss. Then, his wife had tied a thread around his wrist and empowered it with divine powers to make sure Indra emerged victorious in the duel that followed.

Kunti-Abhimanyu

During the battle of Mahabharat, Queen Kunti tied a raksha on her grandson Abhimanyu to protect him in battle.

Krishna and Draupadi

Another incident is the one that concerns Krishna and Draupadi, the wife of Pandavas. She had torn a strip of silk off her sari and tied it around Krishna's wrist to stop the flow of blood Krishna was so touched by her action that he found himself bound to her by love. He promised to repay the debt and then spent the next 25 years doing just that. Draupadi inspite of being married to 5 great warriors and being a daughter of a powerful monarch only trusted and depended wholly on Krishna.

King Bali and Goddess Laxmi

According to another legend Demon King Bali was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu had taken up the task to guard his kingdom leaving his own abode in Vaikunth. Goddess Laxmi wished to be with her lord back in her abode. She went to Bali disguised as a Brahmin woman to seek refuge till her husband came back.
During the Shravan Purnima celebrations, Laxmiji tied the sacred thread to the King. Upon being asked she revealed who she was and why she was there. The king was touched by her goodwill for his family and her purpose and requested the Lord to accompany her. He sacrificed all he had for the Lord and his devoted wife.
Thus the festival is also called Baleva that is Bali Raja's devotion to the Lord.It is said that since then it has been a tradition to invite sisters in Shravan Purnima for the thread tying ceremony or the Raksha Bandhan

Yama and the Yamuna

It is said that the Raksha Bandhan was a ritual followed by Lord Yama (the Lord of Death) and his sister Yamuna. Yamuna tied rakhi to Yama and bestowed immortality. Yama was so moved by the serenity of the occasion that he declared thar whoever gets a rakhi tied from his sister and promised her protection will become immortal.

How is Rakshabandhan celebrated in different parts of India
India is a diverse country with various cultures. While Rakhsabandhan is celebrated pretty much all over the country, different parts of the country celebrate the festival in different ways with a different significance.

Tying of Rakhi

Perhaps the single most important way of celebrating Rakshabandhan is by tying the rakhi. A sister ties a rakhi to the wrist of her brother. The tying of a rakhi signifies her asking of her brother for his protection and love for the sister. The brother is turn, accepts the rakhi, confirms his love and affection for his sister and showers her with gifts and money. It is a family event where all members of family, dressed in all finery, gather and celebrate this event. The tying of rakhi is followed by a family feast.

Rakhi Purnima

Rakhi is celebrated as Rakhi Purnima in North India as well as in parts of Northwest India. The word "Purnima" means a full moon night.

Nariyal Purnima

It western India and parts of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa and Karnataka, this day is celebrated as Nariyal Purnima. On this day an offering of a coconut (nariyal) is made to the sea, as a mark of respect to Lord Varun (God of the Sea). Nariyal Purnima marks the beginning of the fishing season and the fisherman, who depend on the sea for a living, make an offering to Lord Varun so that they can reap bountiful fish from the sea.

Avani Avittam / Upakarman

In southers parts of India such as Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Orissa this day is celebrated by the Brahmin community as Avani Avittam. On this day they change their sacred threads (Janeyu)

Kajari Purnima

In central parts of India such as Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Jharkand and Bihar this day is celebrated as Kajari Purnima. It is an important day for the farmers and women blessed with a son. On the ninth day after Shravana Amavasya, the preparations of the Kajari festival start. This ninth day is called Kajari Navami. The rituals are performed by the ladies blessed with a son. The rituals continye till the Kajri Purnima or the full moon day.
PavitropanaIn parts of Gujarat this day is celebrated as Pavitropana. On this day people perform the grand pooja or the worship of the three eyed God, Lord Shiva. It is the culmination of the prayers done through out the year.