The bond between a brother and a sister is simply unique and is beyond description in words. The relationship between siblings is extraordinary and is given importance in every part of the world.
The occasion of Rakshya Bandhan is celebrated on the full moon day of the Shrawan which typically falls in the August month of Gregorian calendar.
Meaning of Rakshya Bandhan
The festival is made up of two words, namely, “Rakshya and Bandhan”. As per the Sanskrit terminology, the occasion means “the tie or knot of protection” where “Rakshya stands for the protection and “Bandhan” signifies the verb to tie. Together, the festival symbolizes the eternal love of brother, sister relationship only. It is also celebrated among cousins, nephew and other relations.
Origin of Rakshya Bandhan Festival
The festival of Rakshya Bandhan is known to have originated centuries before and there are several stories related to the celebration of this special festival. Some of the various accounts related to the Hindu mythology are described below:
Indra and Sachi:- according to the ancient legend of Bhavishya Purana, once there was a fierce battle between Gods and demons. Lord Indra the principle deity of sky, rains and thunder bolts who was fighting the battle on the side of Gods was having a tough resistance from the powerful demon King, Bali. The war continued for a long time and didn’t come on a decisive end. After seeing this Indra’s wife Sachi went to the Lord Vishnu who gave her a holy bracelet made up of cotton thread. Sachi tied the holy thread around the wrist of her husband, Lord Indra who ultimately defeated the demons and recovered the Amaravati. The earlier account of the festival described these holy threads to be amulets which were used by women for prayers and were tied to their husband when they were leaving for a war.
King Bali and Goddess Lakshmi- as per an account of Bhagavata Purana and Vishnu Purana, when Lord Vishnu won’t the three worlds from the demon King Bali, he asked by the demon King to stay besides him in the palace. The Lord accepted the request and started living with the demon King. However, Goddess Lakshmi wanted to return to his place of Vaikuntha. So,she tied the Rakhi around the wrist of demon King Bali and made him brother. And when King asked for the gift, in return she asked to free her husband from there and let him return to Vaikuntha. Bali agreed to the request and Lord Vishnu returned to his place with his wife Goddess Lakshmi.
Santoshi Maa- It is said that the two sons of Lord Ganesha Shubha and Labh were frustrated that they had no sister from their father who finally obliged to their sister on the intervention of Narada. This is how Lord Ganesha created Santoshi Maa through the divine flames and the two sons of Lord Ganesha got their sister for the occasion of Rakshaya Bandhan.
Yama and Yamuna – Another legend says that the death God, Yama didn’t visit his sister Yamuna for a period of 12 years who ultimately become very sad. One the advice of Ganga, Yama went t meet his sister Yamuna who was very happy and performed hospitality of her brother again and again. Hearing this, Yama made his sister, Yamuna immortal so that he could see her again and again. This mythological account forms the basis of festival called”bhai Dooj” which is also based on the brother-sister relationship.
Janai Purnima
Janai Purnima is observed in the month of Shrawan. It is called Rakshya Bandhan as this festival observes the bond of purity and security. This festival is celebrated by Hindus all over the world.
Jana is a cotton worn across the chest by Hindu male. This thread is only given to males during a long and impressive religious ceremony called Bratabandan is basically a formal process of accepting someone in the religion.
The Janai initiates the boy into manhood and commands them to devotedly follow the religion and the path of truth. The Janai must be worn every day of their lives after they listen their mantra from the guru during the Bartabandhan.
Janai is regarded as symbol of body speech and mind and when the Knots are tied the person wearing it is supposed to gain complete control over each of them.
Janai is sacred thread and Purnima is full moon day, thus it is Janai festival is the full moon day of Shrawan month of BS calendar.
What do we do in Janai Purnima?
A day before Janai Purnima the persons wearing Janai should make themselves clean by shaving or cutting hair and take a good bath. They undergo a partial fasting, taking only one meal of foods considered to be clean – no meat, no onion or garlic. Satvic food is prescribed for all Hindus ritual and festival.
In the Purnima morning men usually go to rivers and ponds nearby, to take secret bath dipping himself thrice in the water. Men, then change their Janai. Break the old ones.
However, in cities, the family priest comes to the residence. The entire family gathers around pandit as he reads the importance and stories from the Patro and performs the ceremony, which purifies the new broad, and places it about the men’s neck across the chest. In a payment the priest is given food stuffs and monies. The money is called Dakshina and other stuff is called Daan in Sanskrit.
Janai Purnima as Kwati PUrnima or Guthi PUnhi
In Nepal Janai Purnima in Newari is Kwati this day is also called Kwati PUnhi, where Kwati is a soup of different 11 beans and Punhi means the full moon day. Newar people also put the sacred threads around the wrists which are to be taken off on the day of Laxmi Puja another festival in Tihar.
In Janai Puarnima newar farmers offer different food items to frogs. Believing that worshipping the frog, who is considered an agent of the god of rainfall, by making offerings of different food items help to increase the production of crops.
Sama Buddhacharya
Primary Coordinator