Love Brother

Happy Rakhi

You are so cute,

darling

and adorable..

Can't help

forming a

relationship with you...

Please

Accept me

As your

Dearest and

Sweetest Behna

Happy Raksha Bandhan!

Rakhi Day is Righteous Day

This full moon day our hearts are in brim 

Feeling of faith and serenity in mind. 

We light the lamps and our hears glow 

Radiance of happiness and peace are in flow. 

Harmonious homes are like streams of joy 

Flowing and flourishing the landscape en route. 

Nobility in heart and character in deed 

Righteous homes alone make a beautiful State. 

Sisters will tie the thread on the brothers 

Abiding them to do only what is right and clean. 

Put the Kumkum and blessed rice on the head 

Where will dwell right thoughts and noble action. 

When is Rakhi in 2012?

Raksha Bandhan also known as Rakhi is one of the well known festivals of India. Rakhi 2012 is celebrated with lots of joy and enthusiasm by every sibling.This festival is celebrated on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Shravana. According to Gregorian calender,  This festival is celebrated with lots of joy and enthusiasm by every sibling. This festival celebrates the eternal bond of love and affection shared between brother and sister.

The celebration of Rakhi 2012 can be traced back to the ancient epics & legends such as the legend in the Bhavishya Puran, the legend of King Bali and Goddess Laxmi & Yama and the Yamuna. This festival is also mentioned in Mahabharata, where Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas tied Rakhi to her grandson Abhimanyu and Draupadi to Lord Krishna. Though the customs, traditions and rituals of this festival have undergone changes, the core essence of Rakhi remains same everywhere. On this grand festival, sister ties a sacred thread on her brother’s wrist and pray for his well being. After this traditional custom, she performs “aarti” of her brother and put “Tilak” on his forehead. In return, brother also bless his sister and promises to protect her from all hazards of life.

Feasted with the love and enamor with care, every soul is ready to celebrate the sacred festival of raksha bandhan on 2nd August, 2012. The day which has become the cynosure of brotherhood, is celebrated around the world, with the rays of love and affection blooming in it. Rakhi festival is not only a ceremony of tying rakhi but it has moreover transited into the trust and love which a girl ties on her brother's wrist and hope that this hand will always hold her in every ups and downs of life.

Rakhi Celebrations

Rakhi Celebration

In India, Rakhi celebrations are about strengthening the bond of love between brothers and sisters and fostering brotherhood. This festival is not a ritual, custom and tradition that can change over time but its style of celebration has become contemporary. Since ages, Raksha Bandhan is being celebrated in the same way. All the traditions are followed with the same enthusiasm. The gaieties have only blown up to a larger scale. Rakhi festival is the celebration of the chaste bond of love amongst the siblings.

Everyone start preparing for this festival much in advance. About a month before the commencement of raksha bandhan, you can see fancy and colorful rakhis in every market. Ladies start shopping for rakhi and rakhi gifts quite early. They shop for new clothes and beautiful rakhi gifts specially the one that have to be sent to their brothers staying far. Almost every shop, be it sweet shops, garment shops, gift shops, or any other shop, all are flooded with attractive rakhi gifts to attract people.

The celebration of Rakhi, in India, is well known for its carnival spirit and strengthening the bond of love between brothers and sisters. In fact, India is globally known for its colorful festivals and ever-green tradition. Celebrated with different rituals, family get-together and sweets, Raksha Bandhan is about sentiments, love and enjoyment. Like any other festival, rakhi has its unique significance.

On the day of Rakhi festival, the festivity of this auspicious day begin by the day break. After taking bath early morning, people get ready by wearing new clothes and gather for worshiping. After invoking the the blessings of the Gods, the sister performs brother’s arti, puts tika and chawal on his forehead and ties Rakhi amongst chanting of mantras. Sisters whole heartedly give sweets to their brothers to eat which in turns add more sweetness in the Raksha Bandhan celebration and pray for their well being. In return, brothers pamper their sisters and present beautiful gifts to lure them. They also promise to take care of her and stand by her side in any circumstances.

After performing all these rituals, the whole family reunion to enjoy and have fun. Then all of them share the delicious food, tasty sweets, gifts, music and dance. It is a day to remember all the memorable time spent together for those who, for any reason, are far away from their family. Emotions can also be expressed through e-mails, e-cards, rakhi greeting cards and rakhi through Internet. The overflowing emotions of siblings cannot be stopped on this day.

Rabindra Nath Tagore started gathering of people like 'Rakhi Mahotsavas' in Shantiniketan to propogate the feeling of brotherhood among people. He believed that the this will invoke trust and feeling of peaceful coexistence. Raksha Bandhan, for them, is a way to harmonize the relationship of humanity. The tradition continues as people started tying rakhis to the neighbor and friends.

Rakhi Festival

The Festival of  Rakhi:

History :

Similar to other the festivals of India,the origin of  celebrations is rooted in the Hindu mythology. There is no confirmed date and time available about the history of Rakhi festival, but the stories are many. Started as the 'different tradition' of tying the thread to the husband, it has evolved to having the sisters tying the thread to their brother.

It is said that when Alexander invaded India in 326 B.C., his wife tied a Rakhi to the king Porus. In return Porus is believed to have promised to protect her and her husband. 

In the medieval period, we have numerous examples of the practice of tying knots or threads. The history of Rajputana is full of several such examples of Rakhi like traditions. The most famous of them is the story of the Queen karnavati of Chittor, who sent a Rakhi to the Mughal emperor, Humayun to save her kingdom from the invasion of Bahadur Shah of Gujarat. That particular day of Purnima was celebrated as Raksha Bandhan in Marwar and then all over Rajasthan and, finally, throughout India

The Celebration :

On the day of Rakhi, sisters prepares the pooja thali with diya, roli, chawal, rakhi thread and sweets. The ritual begins with a prayer in front of God, then the sister ties Rakhi to her brother and wishes for his happiness and well-being. In turn, the brother acknowledge the love with a promise to stand by his sister through all the good and bad times.

Sisters tie Rakhi on the wrist of their brothers amid chanting of mantras, put roli and rice on his forehead and pray for his well-being. She bestows him with gifts and blessings. In turn, brothers also wish her a good life and pledges to take care of her. He gives her a return gift. The gift symbolizes the physical acceptance of her love, reminder of their togetherness and his pledge. The legends and the reference in history repeated, the significance of the festival is emphasized.

The Significance:

Raksha Bandhan is now considered as a day to celebrate the sacred relation of a brother and a sister. Yet there have been examples in history where in rakhi has just been a raksha or protection. It could be tied by wife, a daughter or mother. The Rishis tied rakhi to the people who came seeking their blessings. The sages tied the sacred thread to themselves to safe guard them from the evil. It is by all means the 'Papa Todak, Punya Pradayak Parva' or the day that bestows boons and end all sins as it is mentioned in the scriptures.

In today's scenario, the day has a different perspective. The occasion involves a pledge of life-time practice of moral, cultural and spiritual values. 

The values and the sentiments attached to the rituals of this festival are worth inculcating by the whole human race, the sentiments of harmony and peaceful coexistence. The festival of Raksha Bandhan assumes all forms of Raksha or protection, of righteousness and destroyer of all sin. The ritual of Rakhi tying has become so important that come what may, brothers and sisters try to visit each other place on this particular day tin order to bring back the oneness of the family, binding the family together in an emotional bond of love.