Raksha-bandhan....then and now!

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This year's Rakhsha-bandhan falls on Tuesday, 24th of August, 2010. The festival of Raksha-bandhan celebrates the blessed relationship of brothers and sisters. The festival is as old as the Indus valley civilization and dates back to the Aryan era. Raksha-bandhan, also known as Rakhi is celebrated every year on the full moon day of the Shravana month. Sisters tie a beautified holy thread, called ‘rakhi’ on their brothers’ wrist which symbolizes a ‘knot of security & protection’. They pray for their brothers’ well-being and the brothers promise to protect their sisters. Families come together, feast on special dishes, gifts, and rejoice together.

There are various references of the significance of the festival in history, and in epics.

The oldest evidence goes back to the time when India was invaded by Alexander. Alexander’s wife, who was an Indian, is said to have approached King Puru with a rakhi and took a promise from him to not to harm her husband in the war. Likewise, there is a mention of similar relationship between Lord Krishna and Draupadi; and between Goddess Laxmi and King Bali. With many customs and traditions in India, the festival’s celebrations vary from place to place.

As a kid, I remember going to my granny’s place, where all my cousins used to get together for the festival. It used to be such a looked-for event with a fixed menu of delicacies for every year. We used to buy new clothes for ourselves, gifts for our cousins and used to wait for the day. Gradually, and over the years, the charm of such celebrations seem to have faded away.

Nowadays, most of us might not even know the date of such festivals; neither do we seem to take much delight in such get-togethers. Of course, our priorities change with the changing times; and we have to take out time to cherish such simplicities of life. It’s not that we do not want to, but I believe that our busy schedules prevent us from all the excitement. Now, in spite of being in the same city, we prefer to send rakhis and gifts to our brothers, with the click of a button, or through courier services. (Thanks to the online gift shops who first remind us of the festivals and then deliver the gifts and rakhis on our behalf.) There used to be mahurats, i.e auspicious time of the day to tie rakhi, these days it’s more about individual’s convenience and availability than anything else. Not just their own brothers, people used to tie rakhis to their neighbours and friends as a symbol of harmonious co-existence. I remember my dad’s sister, who stayed in some other city, and used to send hand-written letters along with the rakhi for my dad. I know it sounds cliché, but the trend was more charismatic than our e-cards and e-gifts.

It’s funny to look at how everything has become commercialised. You get branded rakhi thalis, malls and gift shops have customised rakhi gifts, fancy and expensive rakhi designs, and much more. It’s difficult to understand if all these modernised versions are for people; or people are for such modern amenities. Though there’s a good side of these readymade services for those who specially take out time out of their busy schedules and visit their siblings, the missing stroke of good old times cannot be denied.

Author: Neha Kapur Grover | Published Aug 19, 2010 | 03:51 PM

A post graduate in Human Resource Management, and a graduate in English Literature, born and brought up in delhi, I am a content writer by profession. Marriage brought me to Mumbai and I am here since...