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Raksha Bandhan is a term from the Hindi language which means a relationship or an association based on protection. This is a festival which has a long standing Indian heritage. More commonly known as Rakhi,..
Raksha Bandhan is a term from the Hindi language which means a relationship or an association based on protection. This is a festival which has a long standing Indian heritage. More commonly known as Rakhi, this Indian festival signifies the sacred bond of love between a brother and sister.
The festival also finds a mention in most of the epics and its origin can be traced to as far back as the ancient times.
Legendary Stories of Raksha Bandhan
•Alexander: The Great and King of Puru
Alexander, the great (as he was called) was on a mission to conquer the world. On his crusade through the Indian subcontinent somewhere around 300 B.C., King Alexander of Macedonia was shaken by the fury of the Indian king, Porus. It was then that Alexander's wife approached King Porus as a sister. On Alexander's next attempt, King Porus, as a tribute to the sacred bond of Rakhi, did not oppose King Alexander and let him have his way.
•Rani Karnavati and Emperor Humayun
One of the most popular tales that come to our minds when we think of Rakhi is that of Rani Karnavati and Emperor Humayun. This dates back to the medieval era when Rajputs were fighting Muslim invasions. When Rani Karnavati, the widowed queen of the king of Chittor realized that she could not defend the attack by the Sultan of Gujarat, Bahadur Shah, she sent a Rakhi to Emperor Humayun. The Emperor, touched by this gesture of sisterly love immediately set off with his troops to defend Chittor's honor.
•Lord Krishna and Draupadi
Legend goes that during the war that Krishna fought and won against the evil King Sari where he killed King Sari, Krishna was hurt and his hand was bleeding. Seeing this, Draupadi tore a strip of cloth from her saree and tied it around his wrist.
Lord Krishna, seeing her affections and realizing her concerns about him, declared himself bounded by her sisterly love. He also promised that he will be at her side whenever she needed a brother. Many years later, when Pandavas lost Draupadi in a game of dice and Kauravas were removing her saree (cheerharan), Krishna helped her. He did so by continuously adding to the length of her saree and thereby saved her from a public disgrace.
•King Bali and Goddess Lakshmi
Mahabali, the demon king was also a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. It was thus that Lord Vishnu left Vaikuntham, his dwelling to protect Bali's kingdom. But, Goddess Lakshmi (Lord Vishnu's wife) became sad because of the Lord having left her alone. So, she went to Bali as a Brahmin woman and took refuge as in the King's palace. On Shravan Purnima, she tied a Rakhi on King Bali's wrist. She then revealed her true identity and told the King of her real reason for coming. The king was touched by Her and Lord Vishnu's good will and affection towards him and his family. Following which Bali requested Lord Vishnu to accompany her to Vaikuntham. It was thus that the festival of Rakhi also came to be known as Balev (as a reference to Bali's devotion to Lord Vishnu).
The strong bond represented by Rakhi has resulted in innumerable political ties among kingdoms and princely states. The pages of Indian history testify that the Rajput and Maratha queens have sent Rakhi even to Mughal kings who, despite their differences, have assuaged their Rakhi-sisters by offering help and protection at critical moments and honored the fraternal bond. Even matrimonial alliances have been established between kingdoms through the exchange of Rakhi. History has it that the great Hindu King Porus refrained from striking Alexander, the Great because the latter’s wife had approached this mighty adversary and tied a Rakhi on his hand, prior to the battle, urging him not to hurt her husband.
The festival also finds a mention in most of the epics and its origin can be traced to as far back as the ancient times.
Legendary Stories of Raksha Bandhan
•Alexander: The Great and King of Puru
Alexander, the great (as he was called) was on a mission to conquer the world. On his crusade through the Indian subcontinent somewhere around 300 B.C., King Alexander of Macedonia was shaken by the fury of the Indian king, Porus. It was then that Alexander's wife approached King Porus as a sister. On Alexander's next attempt, King Porus, as a tribute to the sacred bond of Rakhi, did not oppose King Alexander and let him have his way.
•Rani Karnavati and Emperor Humayun
One of the most popular tales that come to our minds when we think of Rakhi is that of Rani Karnavati and Emperor Humayun. This dates back to the medieval era when Rajputs were fighting Muslim invasions. When Rani Karnavati, the widowed queen of the king of Chittor realized that she could not defend the attack by the Sultan of Gujarat, Bahadur Shah, she sent a Rakhi to Emperor Humayun. The Emperor, touched by this gesture of sisterly love immediately set off with his troops to defend Chittor's honor.
•Lord Krishna and Draupadi
Legend goes that during the war that Krishna fought and won against the evil King Sari where he killed King Sari, Krishna was hurt and his hand was bleeding. Seeing this, Draupadi tore a strip of cloth from her saree and tied it around his wrist.
Lord Krishna, seeing her affections and realizing her concerns about him, declared himself bounded by her sisterly love. He also promised that he will be at her side whenever she needed a brother. Many years later, when Pandavas lost Draupadi in a game of dice and Kauravas were removing her saree (cheerharan), Krishna helped her. He did so by continuously adding to the length of her saree and thereby saved her from a public disgrace.
•King Bali and Goddess Lakshmi
Mahabali, the demon king was also a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. It was thus that Lord Vishnu left Vaikuntham, his dwelling to protect Bali's kingdom. But, Goddess Lakshmi (Lord Vishnu's wife) became sad because of the Lord having left her alone. So, she went to Bali as a Brahmin woman and took refuge as in the King's palace. On Shravan Purnima, she tied a Rakhi on King Bali's wrist. She then revealed her true identity and told the King of her real reason for coming. The king was touched by Her and Lord Vishnu's good will and affection towards him and his family. Following which Bali requested Lord Vishnu to accompany her to Vaikuntham. It was thus that the festival of Rakhi also came to be known as Balev (as a reference to Bali's devotion to Lord Vishnu).
The strong bond represented by Rakhi has resulted in innumerable political ties among kingdoms and princely states. The pages of Indian history testify that the Rajput and Maratha queens have sent Rakhi even to Mughal kings who, despite their differences, have assuaged their Rakhi-sisters by offering help and protection at critical moments and honored the fraternal bond. Even matrimonial alliances have been established between kingdoms through the exchange of Rakhi. History has it that the great Hindu King Porus refrained from striking Alexander, the Great because the latter’s wife had approached this mighty adversary and tied a Rakhi on his hand, prior to the battle, urging him not to hurt her husband.
