All History About Raksha Bandhan

Raksha Bandhan (Hindi, m., रक्शा बंधन, Bandhan rakśā literally, "protective connection") and Rakhi Purnima (Purnima wörtl: full moon) or simply known as Rakhi, is an important holiday in Hinduism. Especially popular in the north of India, he finds after Hindu lunar calendar instead of a full moon day in the month of Shravana, according to western calendar usually in early August.

The Feast

Mainly they celebrate the day as a celebration of brotherly connection. Sun make women and girls, their brother ritually blessed one band, a Rakhi to the wrist. This usually cotton or silk decorative band, which is some time before the altar, she expresses sisterly love and their blessing.

She dabs a blessing this point on the forehead and waving a blessing oil light in front of him. He hands her a small gift, however, promising her his support in life. Is the brother away, as in any other city, he receives his blessings with Rakhi by post.

Like all Indian holidays, there are also variations of Raksha Bandhan: In some areas, they celebrate this festival as Bhau Beej (in Marathi) or Bhai Dooj (in Hindi) on the second day after Diwali, the Festival of Lights in the fall. Bhai means brother, Dooj is called the second day after new moon.

In the Indian state of Punjab about to tie the Raksha Bandhan in August, only the bond of the solemn ceremony of blessing the point on the forehead, however, a separate day, Bhai Dooj is dedicated. In a Tika ceremony, the sister of her brother dabs of saffron and rice flour as a dot on the forehead, shake blessing the oil light and speaks to their blessings.

Even in Bengal celebrated the brother-sister festival in August but as Bhatri Dwitya or two days after Diwali Bhai Phota. The brother will only get a Rakhi on that day and to the sister's blessing with a dot of eyeliner, the soot of burnt butter on the forehead.

Importance

Not only the biological brother, and cousins are like brothers. Women and girls have the right, each elected by their fellow man or to be committed in this way ". The tape makes for good to Rakhi-Rakhi-brother and sister. According to ancient custom, it obliged him to lifelong protection against it.

A Rakhi to preserve not only from physical harm, but also from sickness and sin. Because the tape at the same time symbolizes purity, closes the Rakhi relationship a love affair or romantic feelings for erotic level. Women put it so often today as a sign if they maintain a friendship, but will accept no love story.

The "protective connection" with a Rakhi is not always limited to a brother-sister relationship. In some traditions, such as in Nepal, believers, women are like men, on this Rakhi Purnima the protective tape from their priest or guru. In the Indian independence movement was it even as an instrument for peace.

Thus, the Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore organized in 1905 Raksha Bandhan events, so that umknüpfen the divided Hindus and Muslims, each one so that Rakhi and emphasize brotherhood and solidarity should.

History and mythology

The poetry of this brother-sister relationship that Indian poets deal in countless romantic stories, songs and poems. We know stories of kings who even sacrificed their lives to protect their Rakhi-sister. Some seem to be historical events such as the popular account of a Princess:

* Rani Karnavati, the princess of Chittor is in the 16th Century face of a hostile threat to the Muslim ruler Humayun sent a Rakhi. This immediately rushed to support them. But as he came too late and their kingdom was destroyed, took Rani Karnavati life.
* What importance this custom in the past approached, also illustrates the tradition of Alexander the Great, who came to India in the fourth century, and spread his reign of terror. His wife is said to have sent in a hopeless situation to the king Porus a Rakhi, who then promised her assistance. He finally resigned out the hated Alexander to kill in combat, although he would have had this opportunity.

Various myths tell how even the gods were dependent on the sister's blessing.

* After that Indra could, winning the King of heaven, the victory over his greatest enemy, the demons Vritra only after he had his wife Sachi umgeknüpft a Rakhi band and blessed.
* Krishna received, according to the epic Mahabharata from Draupadi a strip of silk, which she had torn from her sari and tied around his wrist to the blood on his injured finger feeding. Though Draupadi was the daughter of a powerful king and common wife of five princes, was the only one Krishna, on whose support they could count in the end.
* It is also said Yama, the Lord of Death, had with his sister Yamuna the Raksha Bandhan celebrated ritual. In gratitude and love said Yama to the fact that death will overcome those who would receive from his sister a Rakhi and the promise of their protection.


Source: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raksha_Bandhan


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