New Delhi: Raksha Bandhan is being celebrated today on the full moon day of the Sawan month. As there is no Bhadra this year, there are three auspicious timings for tying Rakhi between 6:15 am and 7 pm.
According to religious tradition, Raksha Bandhan is observed between sunrise and sunset.
From a religious ritual to a festival of siblings
Today, Raksha Bandhan is primarily celebrated as a festival symbolising the bond of love and protection between brothers and sisters. However, its form was different thousands of years ago.
The Atharvaveda mentions the use of gold and gems as protective objects. The Ramayana refers to Kaushalya preparing a protective thread with medicinal substances for Lord Rama before his exile.
The Bhavishyottara Purana also describes the ritual of Raksha Bandhan on the full moon day of Sawan, including instructions said to have been given by Lord Krishna to Yudhishthira.
From the Mughal court to Rajput tradition
By the 13th century, Raksha Bandhan had evolved into a religious ritual with prescribed rules and mantras.
During Akbar’s reign, the tradition of Rakhi reached the Mughal court. By the 18th century, Rajput women were known to send Rakhis to kings.
In the 19th century, the tradition also evolved in which women would tie a Rakhi to a man and accept him as a brother. Over time, Raksha Bandhan thus developed beyond a religious ritual into a wider symbol of sibling love, protection and social bonds.
