The month of shravan has ended, and for past few days, the markets have been flooding with varieties of beautiful rakhis . Rakhi is a sacred thread or a band which a sister ties on her brother’s wrist and prays for his well being and prosperity. This beautiful Hindu tradition, Raksha Bandhan is observed on the full moon day of the Shravan maas. It is celebrated enthusiastically in all parts of India, especially in the North and West.

Raksha Bandhan is observed on the full moon day of the Shravan maas

Raksha Bandhan (literally means ’the bond of protection’) is a celebration of the bond between brother and sister. It symbolizes the eternal love between brother and sister which may not mean just the blood relationship. It can be celebrated with cousins, friends or even neighbours. The sisters put tilak on their brother’s forehead and tie rakhi on their wrist, sweets and gifts are exchanged. The brothers promise to protect and support the sisters.

Thinking of raksha bandhan takes me back to my hostel days in Scindia kanya Vidyalaya, Gwalior. This festival was special. Our brothers from Scindia School were invited and a small party was organized where we tied rakhis to our brothers and played games with them. Days before the festival, every girl in the campus would be seen busy making colourful rakhis and bandanas. The bandanas were tied on friends’ wrists as a friendship band.

When did this festival start? Like all Hindu festivals, there are several stories related to the origin of raksha bandhan in our ancient texts. Indrani, the wife of Devraj Indra was the first to use the sacred thread which She tied on her husband’s wrist to protect him from the Asuras in the war. She did this on the full moon of Shravan maas. My grandmother would tell us the story from Mahabharata, When Lord Krishna injured his finger, Draupadi tied a piece of cloth from her saree and how Krishna helps Draupadi and her family in times of difficulties.

However, most historians will tell that Raksha bandhan was started in Rajasthan during the Mughal period stating the story of Rani Karnavati, the widow of Rana Sangram Singh of Chittor sent a rakhi for the Mughal emperor Humanyun seeking help against the Sultan of Gujarat, who had attacked Chittor. But before Humanyun could reach Chittor, the Sultan captured the fort and the Queen had performed jauhar. Humayun drove away the Sultan’s army and reinstalled Karnavati’s son on the throne of Chittor.

Until the mid-20th century, Shravan Poornima was a celebration for the priests, who would tie the sacred thread on their patrons and receive gifts and money from them. This is still the case in some places.

The celebration of brother-sister relationship Perhaps has roots in a ritual that was performed in the rural parts of north and western India. This tradition, called ‘Saluno’, included the sisters placing shoots of barley behind the ears of their brothers. This was carried out mainly by the married girls, the younger sisters also joined in.

In rural society, the girls are married outside their village. In the month of Shravan, most women travel back to their parental homes to spend some time with family and friends and return to the married homes by the end of the month. Now, Shravan is a monsoon month, the fields are full of tender shoots. The girls pray for the family’s good fortune and place shoots behind their brother’s ears. The brothers gave sweets and gifts to their sisters. This beautiful ritual is now almost forgotten.

Things changed with urbanization, when people moved towards cities and celebrating the festival in person was not always possible, rakhis became an easy option. The girls sent rakhi through the post and received money orders from their brothers. The joy of handmade rakhies were replaced by factory manufactured stuff.

In this rapidly advancing digital age, where geographical distances often separate families, the essence of this heartwarming festival remains unaltered, the siblings find innovative ways to remain connected. The concept of virtual rakhi celebration has gained immense popularity. With just a few clicks, the sisters can send love and blessings. The brothers can send gifts in an instant using apps. There are varieties of beautiful rakhi and gift hampers available online. My son has been receiving rakhis in the last few years and this year I have also used this platform to send rakhi to my brothers.