Rakhi festival of Raksha Bandhan as a unique day for India
In this article, I will give you information about Rakhi festival in India. It is a festival of sacred bond between sister and brother. I have given some famous mythological characters doing same rituals in old times. I have mentioned about other festivals on this day, types of rakhis and gifts to be given on this holy festival.
* It is a Hindu festival mainly started in India, Nepal and Mauritius. It comes in the month of Shravan(August) when there is full moon day i.e. poornima as per the Hindu calendar. * On this day, sister perform traditional aarti and prayer for brother's well being. She ties the Rakhi (a holy thread) on the wrist of brother which shows her affection and in return, security and guidance is guaranteed from her brother. Brother gives his sister various exciting gifts and both feed sweets to one another with love.Introduction
Raksha Bandhan in history
1. Yamuna and Yama
Both were sister and brother. Yama is lord of death and Yamuna is a river in northern India.2. Santoshi Ma and Ganesh
Lord Ganesh always used to tie rakhi from Santoshi Ma ( a goddess of satisfaction).3. Draupdi and Krishna
Draupdi, the Pandava's wife torn a piece of his sari and tie to the hand of lord Krishna to stop bleeding. From that day, Krishna promised to protect her in bad times.4. Lakshmi and king Bali
The goddess Lakshmi seek refuge from king Bali when lord Vishnu was defending Bali's kingdom leaving Vaikunth and tie a yellow thread as rakhi on the wrist of king Bali. Bali sacrificed all for lord Vishnu and Lakshmi.5. Roxana and Porus
Roxana, the wife of Alexander the great send a sacred thread to king Porus for not harming her husband in battle field. Porus give importance to rakhi and did not harm him.Festivals on Rakhi day
1. Rakhi poornima
It is celebrated in north India.2. Janaeu or Shravan poornima
It is celebrated in Nepal.3. Balram jayanti
Lord krishna's elder brother Balram take birth on this poornima.4. Gamha poornima
It is celebrated in Odisha.5. Narali poornima
It is celebrated in Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat.6. Kajari poornima
It is celebrated in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.7. Jandhyam poornima
It is celebrated in Uttarakhand.8. Pavitropana
It is celebrated in Gujarat. They perform prayers of lord Shiva.9. Jhulan poornima
It is celebrated in West Bengal. They perform prayers of lord Krishna and Radha.10. Onam
It is celebrated in Kerala.Types of Rakhi
There are many types of rakhis which are used frequently today. Some are given below1. Designer rakhi
These rakhis include flowers, teddy bear, cartoon characters and dolls. Some have options of music to play in its center or side-wise.2. Bhabhi rakhi
These are also called Bhaiya bhabhi rakhi or Lumba rakhi. These are usually hooked or tied to Bhabhi's bangles.3. Embedded rakhi
These have something embedded in the center of rakhi. Embedded item can be any symbol, photo of a person or a diety, chocolates and even crystal or jewels in between.4. Virtual rakhi
These include e-rakhis and SMS rakhis. E-rakhis are those which sent by email and SMS rakhis are sent by SMS. SMS rakhis are very popular these days.Gifts on Rakhi
Categories are given below1. Eatable item
These include sweets like gulab jamun, burfi and chocolate pack, etc.2. Usable item
These include clothes, mobile, laptop, ornaments, toys and books, etc.3. Cash in hand
This is given when he or she want to take an item of his or her choice.4. Show piece item
These include any memorable item like photo in frame, etc.5. Virtual item
These include e-cards, gift vouchers and any online purchase cards, etc.Conclusion
In the end, I will only say that this festival is the perfect time to express your love and affection to your siblings and toughen the bond. So use above information and make this auspicious day a memorable one.
