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 Origins
The origin of the festival is mostly attributed to one of following
mythological incidents:
1. Indra's fight with Vritra - Indra, the king of devtas (gods), had
lost his kingdom to the asura (demon) Vritra. At the behest of his Guru
Brihaspati, Indra's wife Shachi tied a thread around her husband's wrist to
ensure his victory in the upcoming duel.
2. Draupadi and Krishna during the Rajsuya yagya - After Shishupal's
death, Krishna was left with a bleeding finger. Draupadi, the wife of the
Pandavas, had torn a strip of silk off her sari and tied it around Krishna's
wrist to stop the flow of blood. Touched by her concern, Krishna had
declared himself bound to her by her love. He further promised to repay the
debt many fold. Many years later when Draupudi was about to be shamed by
being disrobed in front of the whole court by her evil brother-in-law
Duryodhana, she called on Krishna to help her, and he did by divinely
elongating her sari so it could not be removed.
History
Rani Karnawati and Emperor Humayun
One of the earliest origins of Raksha Bandhan in documented history can be
traced to the medieval era. During this period the Rajputs were fighting
Muslim invasions. Rakhi at that time was a spiritual symbol associated with
protection of the sister. History has it that when Queen Karnawati the widow
of the then King of Chittor realised that she could in no way defend the
invasion of the Sultan of Gujarat, Bahadur Shah, she sent a rakhi to Emperor
Humayun. The Emperor touched by the gesture, accepted the rakhi thereby
accepting Queen Karnawati as a "sister" and immediately started off with his
vast troops to protect Queen Karnavati.
The History of Raksha bandhan
There are many references to the significance of the Rakhi festival in
Vaishnava Theology.
Vritra-Indra
The origin of this festival is usually traced back to the historical
incidents of Indra's fight with Vritra-Indra that resulted in Indra's loss.
Then, his wife had tied a thread around his wrist and empowered it with
divine powers to make sure Indra emerged victorious in the duel that
followed.
Krishna and Draupadi
Another incident is the one that concerns Krishna and Draupadi, the wife of
the Pandavas. She had torn a strip of silk off her sari and tied it around
Krishna's wrist to stop the flow of blood Krishna was so touched by her
action that he found himself bound to her by love. He promised to repay the
debt and then spent the next 25 years doing just that. Draupadi in spite of
being married to 5 great warriors and being a daughter of a powerful monarch
only trusted and depended wholly on Krishna.
Krishna repaid the debt of love during Vastra haran of Draupadi. Draupdi's
Vastra Haran was done in the assembly of King Dritrashtra,when Yudishter her
husband lost her in gamble. At that time Krishna gave her saree (extender
her saree) to save her.This is how He paid his debt towards rakhi tied to
him by Draupadi.
King Bali and Goddess Laxmi
According to another legend the Demon King Bali was a great devotee of Lord
Vishnu. Lord Vishnu had taken up the task to guard his kingdom leaving his
own abode in Vaikunth. Goddess Lakshmi wished to be with her lord back in
her abode. She went to Bali disguised as a Brahmin woman to seek refuge till
her husband came back.
During the Shravan Purnima celebrations, Lakshmi tied the sacred thread to
the King. Upon being asked she revealed who she was and why she was there.
The king was touched by her goodwill for his family and her purpose and
requested the Lord to accompany her. He sacrificed all he had for the Lord
and his devoted wife.
Thus the festival is also called Baleva that is Bali Raja's devotion to the
Lord. It is said that since then it has been a tradition to invite sisters
in Shravan Purnima for the thread tying ceremony or the Raksha Bandhan.
Yama and the Yamuna
According to another legend, Raksha Bandhan was a ritual followed by Lord
Yama (the Lord of Death) and his sister Yamuna. Yamuna tied rakhi to Yama
and bestowed immortality. Yama was so moved by the serenity of the occasion
that he declared that whoever gets a rakhi tied from his sister and promised
her protection will become immortal.
Raksha
Bandhan celebrations in India
While Raksha Bandhan is celebrated all over the country, different parts of
the country mark the day in different ways. These celebrations happen to
fall on the same day, and may not have anything to do with Raksha Bandhan
itself or Rakhi.
Tying of rakhi
Perhaps the single most important way of celebrating Raksha Bandhan is by
tying the rakhi. A sister ties a rakhi to the wrist of her brother. The
tying of a rakhi signifies her asking of her brother for his protection and
love for the sister. The brother in turn, accepts the rakhi, confirms his
love and affection for his sister and shows this with gifts and money. It is
a family event where all members of family, dressed in finery, gather and
celebrate. The tying of rakhi is followed by a family feast.
Rakhi Purnima
Rakhi is celebrated as Rakhi Purnima in North India as well as in parts of
Northwest India. The word "Purnima" means a full moon night.
Nariyal Purnima
In western India and parts of Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Goa this day is
celebrated as Nariyal Purnima. On this day an offering of a coconut (nariyal)
is made to the sea, as a mark of respect to Lord Varuna, the God of the Sea.
Nariyal Purnima marks the beginning of the fishing season and the fishermen,
who depend on the sea for a living, make an offering to Lord Varuna so that
they can reap bountiful fish from the sea.
Avani Avittam / Upakarman / Upakarma
In southern parts of India including Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and
Orissa, this day is celebrated by the Brahmin community as Avani Avittam. In
Karnataka, this day is celebrated as Upakarma(ಉಪಾಕರ್ಮ in Kannada) by the
followers of Yajurveda. Upakarma day is the traditional day of the beginning
of Vedic studies. As part of the Upakarman/Upakarma ritual, they also change
their sacred thread or yajnopavitam, the Sanskrit word for the thread. It is
also called "janivaara" in Kannada, "janeyu" in Hindi, "poonool" in Tamil, "
poithe" in Bengali, and "jhanjyam" in Telugu.
Kajari Purnima
In central parts of India such as Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Jharkand and
Bihar this day is celebrated as Kajari Purnima. It is an important day for
the farmers and women blessed with a son. On the ninth day after Shravana
Amavasya, the preparations of the Kajari festival start. This ninth day is
called Kajari Navami and varied rituals are performed by women who have sons
until Kajri Purnima or the full moon day.
Pavitropana
In parts of Gujarat, this day is celebrated as Pavitropana. On this day
people perform the grand pooja or the worship of Lord Shiva. It is the
culmination of the prayers done through out the year.
- wikipedia
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