Thread of Love, Respect and Promise – Rakhi

There are people who belong in your lives making it more beauteous. They teach you to smile, learn, help, care, share, respect, and above all love each other. With their presence around, you feel great and the thought of their absence makes you pale. They are the love that is beyond your imagination, compelling you to be happy on the most wrecked day of yours. They are your Siblings!

Love comes in different shades of colours, of which one belongs to your siblings. Be it sisters or brothers, both await Raksha Bandhan with great desires. With planning beginning before a month, your thoughts to make him/her feel special are just as equal as your siblings. Both think of stuff that would bring a glimpse of a smile that would not be any less than an angelic charm.

We do it because we love to do so, our parents asked us to do it, or we do this from our juvenile ages. Unaware about the relevance of this fest, we make it just a trend that lies beneath the smiles we share on this day. Raksha Bandhan is of an utmost importance not only for brothers and sisters but for a husband-wife duo as well. Weird as it sounds, but reality is always off from belief. Read ahead to unveil the truth of thread:

Indrani’s Talisman –
Scriptures of Indra and Indrani in Vedas, mentions that on a Shravan Poornima day, a fierce battle was fought between the deities and demons. Where demons were having better superpowers than deities and were greater in numbers to devastate lord Indra and his realm. Indra was aware of his whereabouts, and panic was taking its toll on him. Worried about her husband’s loss, Indrani on command of Guru Vrihaspati tied a thread around her husband’s wrist. This talisman turned the fate and deities won the battle. Since then the thread is known as Raksha Sutra or Rakhi and the celebratory commemoration is now famed as Raksha Bandhan.

Draupadi’s Bandage –
An episode that highlights the importance of Rakhi with respect to this tradition. Lord Krishna punished Shishupal for his sins by throwing a celestial weapon called as Sudarshan Chakra at him. The hurling was so impacting that Krishna hurt his finger and started bleeding profusely. With the blood drop oozing, Draupadi rushed to Krishna and tore off a piece from her sari to wrap it around the finger. Krishna was deeply moved emotionally by this gesture and promised to protect in her time of distress. The safeguarding incident happened during the Cheer Haran when Draupadi was disrobed in Dritarashtra’s court. To this, Krishna made her saree eternally long keeping her honor intact.

Laxmi and Vishnu’s Disguise –
Promises are meant to be kept. And speaking of promise, the mention of this story in Hindu scriptures gives a new connotation to it. Lord Vishnu gave his words to protect his devotee, the demon king Bali. So disguising him, he became his doorman. Few months passed, lord Vishnu’s consort Laxmi was missing him and wished to cut off this longing. She disguised herself as a woman who needed shelter to stay until her husband comes and reached to king Bali. King Bali possessed munificent disposition and welcomed Laxmi in his palace. On the Poornima day in the month of Shravan, Laxmi tied a coloured thread on Bali’s wrist. He was happy to see this and asked her what are her wishes. She pointed at the doorman, and soon Vishnu and Laxmi revealed their identities. King Bali asked lord Vishnu to go back, but as a promise to protect his devotee, lord Vishnu visits Bali for four months of every year.

Raksha Bandhan has many tales associated with it and the reasons needed to strengthen this bond with love, respect, and promise towards your siblings. On this Raksha Bandhan, explore the day of happiness with your siblings, at a new destination. Be it Goa, Lonavala or somewhere out of India. Spend you special day making it more memorable.