Raksha Bandhan is a very joyous festival in India that celebrates the bond of love between a brother and a sister. Interestingly this may be a blood relation or a relation between an unrelated or non-biological brother and sister as well. Another aspect of this day is that it is always celebrated on a full moon day and that is termed as a Purnima. The day of Rakhi is therefore referred to as Rakhi Purnima. The festival is celebrated among the Hindus, the Sikhs, and Jain’s in various parts of India. One can also see limited observance of this festival in Mauritius and Nepal and some parts of Pakistan as well as Bangladesh.

Nothing certain is known about the history or the origins of how this festival came to be, but there are many pointers in various religious myths and legends. There also are a lot many stories associated with this festival, which we will read ahead. The festival, is the tying of a sacred thread by a sister on the wrist of a brother by uttering a few mantras or sacred words. In return for this show of love by a sister, a brother vows to safeguard the sister against all adverse situations and protect her lifelong.

The name Raksha Bandhan is derived from Sanskrit and made up of two words where Raksha meaning “Protect” and bandhan which means “To Tie”. Generally for a family that has brother and sister siblings that are going to observe Raksha bandhan, it more of a family affair. Then again, there are many families who have more number of children and hence they make their own rachis. It is common for the brother to reciprocate the Rakhi received from a sister by giving her gifts in return. When a brother or sister is located in a different location, a sister usually sends a Rakhi by Postal mail.

It is a common sight to see the streets lined with makeshift Rakhi stalls, which provide the street with an amazing splash of colour. There are hundreds of varieties of Rakhi available in the stalls and some could be termed as very costly.

One of the well-known legends associated with the history of this festival is available in a Hindu Scripture called the Bhavishya Purana. Once there was a terrible battle between Indra the king of gods and the Demons. In spite of all his prowess, it was Indra who lost to the evil and powerful Demon king called Bali. On receiving this news, Sachi the wife of King Indra ran to seek the advice of Vishnu one of the supreme deities of Hinduism. On hearing her plight, he gave her a bracelet made of cotton threads and instructed her to tie it on the wrist of Indra. Once back, she exactly what she was asked to do, and surprisingly, Indra was able to defeat the demon king and gain back his lost territory. This amulet was not limited to the use between a brother and sister alone and people started believing in the power of this simple wristband form then onwards.