Raksha Bandhan, the festival that radiates love, compassion, and the bond of siblings, is just around the corner. However, the fights like Tom & Jerry, pranks, and picking up on each other is also a form of love for siblings. This auspicious occasion, widely celebrated in India, holds immense value for brothers & sisters.
Raksha Bandhan, also known as Rakhi, falls on the full moon day of the Shravana month according to the Hindu calendar/Sanatan dharma.
It is a day filled with joyous moments, where sisters tie traditional Rakhi/sacred threads around their brothers’ wrists, symbolizing their love, protection, and support. In return, brothers vow to protect their sisters & shower them with gifts.
So let’s dive into the deeper meaning behind this cherished festival, what’s the historical event behind it, what our scriptures say about it, why Raksha Bandhan 2023 is a date to mark on our calendars, and a lot more!
What is Raksha Bandhan?
Raksha Bandhan is an auspicious festival celebrated in India every year. It falls on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Shravan, typically in August. In 2023, the date is either August 30 or 31
(Later in this blog I’ll tell you with accuracy).
This joyous occasion reminds us of the “bond of protection” between brothers and sisters. As sisters tie sacred threads called “Rakhis” on their brothers’ wrists, brothers vow to always be there for protection. Raksha Bandhan symbolizes love and protection in the bond of siblings.
It is a time to express gratitude towards our brothers & sisters and to strengthen the bond of love and harmony. So let’s embrace this Raksha Bandhan festival & celebrate the deep connection we share with our siblings.
What does Raksha Bandhan signify?
As per the historical events & scriptures, Raksha Bandhan signifies the “BOND OF PROTECTION”.
It’s an ancient Hindu festival, where the sister ties a Rakhi/Sacred thread on the wrist of her brother. And brother vows to protect her at all costs.
This commitment to sisters shows a strong bond & everlasting love between brother and sister.
What is the history & story behind Raksha Bandhan?
The story & history behind Raksha Bandhan comes from the Ancient Hindu period.
So let me tell you about some historical events from the time of Satyug and Dwaparyug.
According to Skand Puran, Padma Puran & Srimad Bhagwat Mahapuran, in Satyug, when Shri Vishnu took the Vaman avatar.
There was a Maharaja (King) named Raja Bali, the grandson of Vishnu Bhakt Prahlad.
He is one of the Saptachiranjeevi (7 immortals) & just like Prahlad, Raja Bali was a Bhakt(Devotee) of Shri Vishnu.
Raja Bali was the raja of Pataal and Asuras, Prithvi also known as Mrityu Lok and after he defeated Devtas He became the raja (king) of Swarg & Devtas as well.
Raja Bali was also famous for his kindness & generosity.
So one day Shri Vishnu took the avatar of Vaman, a very short Brahman, and visited Raja Bali to check his generosity.
Raja Bali was very generous by nature so promised Vaman avatar ( Shri Vishnu as a short Brahman) to give anything Vaman asked.
Hearing this Shri Vaman asks for a land of 3 steps (land that Vaman can cover within 3 steps), and Raja Bali agrees to fulfill his promise.
Then Shri Vaman increased his size un-imaginably and within 2 steps he covered Pataal lok, Prithvi/Mrityu look, and Swarg lok.
After this, Shri Vaman asks Raja Bali where to put his 3rd step, and Raja Bali realizes Shri Vaman is none other than Shri Vishnu.
And asks Shri Vaman to put his 3rd step on his head.
Shri Vaman pleased with Raja Bali’s devotion made him the Raja of Pataal, Prithvi, and Swarg (Tribhuvan), & made him a Chiranjeevi (immortal or one who lives till the end of the chaturyug).
And says he’ll give a boon to Raja Bali as per his wish.
Raja Bali then asks Shri Vaman to be by his side all the time so he can get darshan whenever he wants.
Raja Bali was happy with this boon, but Maa Lakshmi was waiting for Shri Vishnu to return his Lok.
So Dev Rishi Narad ji offers a solution to maa lakshmi so Shri Vishnu could return to his Lok.
Dev rishi Narad ji asks Maa Lakshmi to tie Rakhi to Raja Bali and asks him to return Shri Vishnu.
And this way Shri Vishnu returned to Vaikunth with Maa Lakshmi.
As per Mahabharat, another historical event took place in Dwapar Yug when Shri Vishnu took the avatar of Shri Krishna.
At the time of Shishupal’s Vadh (execution), Shri Krishna used his Sudarshan chakra to cut off Shishupal’s head.
And when Sudarshan chakra comes back to him, Shri Krishna gets cut on his finger.
Later upon seeing the cut Draupadi rips a fragment from her saree and ties it to the cut on Shri Krishna’s finger. And this happened on the Shravan maas/month’s, Purnima.
So, Shri Krishna vows to pay off this favor.
Shri Krishna later fulfills his promise by saving Draupadi from Chirharan in the court of Duryodhan.
In return for a little fragment of Draupadi’s saree, Shri Krishna returns the favor by protecting her dignity. By making Draupdi’s saree endless in the court of Duryodhan.
This is why Raksha Bandhan, also known as Rakhi holds immense value. And this auspicious day signifies the deep bond of love, support & protection between brothers & sisters.
There are many other historical events in many scriptures so please try to read them yourself and get the detailed answers.
Why is Raksha Bandhan celebrated?
Raksha Bandhan is a special festival that celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters. On this day, sisters tie a Rakhi/Sacred thread, on the wrists of their brothers. The festival of Raksha Bandhan is a symbol of love, protection, and unity. Brothers promise to take care of their sisters and protect them from any harm.
This auspicious occasion of Raksha Bandhan is not only about the Rakhi that sisters tie, but also about the unconditional love and support they share.
It is believed that when sisters tie rakhi on Raksha Bandhan, it ensures the long life and well-being of their brothers.
Even though all the brothers & sisters fight each other like Tom & Jerry but deep down both love each other and such love and unity is celebrated on this auspicious day according to modern & ancient Hindu traditions.
So, let us all come together and celebrate Raksha Bandhan by tying rakhis and cherishing the special bond between siblings.
Pooja Vidhi of Raksha Bandhan?
According to the scriptures, we celebrate the auspicious Raksha Bandhan on Purnima of Shravan maas/month. On the full moon day of Shravan month which typically falls on August.
On this day, Brother and sister must take a bath and do Ganesh pooja or Panchdev pooja to seek their blessings.
Here’s the sankshipt pooja vidhi of Raksha Bandhan:
- It is essential to know that according to Vedic Jyotish, you must not celebrate Raksha Bandhan during the time of Bhadra Kaal and Eclipse.
- After seeking the blessings of devi-devtas, Sister should proceed to tie rakhi in an auspicious muhurat.
- During the auspicious muhurat Sisters should prepare a tilak, with akshat (Non-broken rice), & offer the tilak to the brother. And offer sweets to each other.
- And Sisters should also offer rakhi & sweets to Shri, Ganesh, Shri Krishna, or Shri Hanuman ji.
- Following up with tying Rakhi/sacred thread on the wrist of their brothers. Siblings should offer gifts to each other, nowadays, brothers offer money and gifts.
After finishing the pooja, I’d recommend every sibling to try not to fight like Tom & Jerry (although I know it’s inevitable haha) and always try to maintain love & unity.
Significance of Rakhi on Raksha Bandhan
Raksha Bandhan, also known as Rakhi, holds a deep-rooted significance among siblings.
It is a beautiful tradition where sisters lovingly tie rakhis on their brother’s wrists, symbolizing their bond and protection.
This sacred thread/Rakhi not only represents the unconditional love sisters have for their brothers but also serves as a reminder of their promise to always stand by each other’s side.
Rakhi is more than just a colorful thread; it is a symbol of trust, love, and unity.
It instills in brothers the responsibility to protect and cherish their sisters, while sisters pray for their brothers’ well-being. This celebration not only strengthens the sibling bond but also showcases the enduring love between brothers and sisters.
What Is The Best Time To Tie Rakhi? Raksha Bandhan 2023 Date
According to the 2 top online panchangs: Drik Panchang and Prokerela,
Purnima tithi/the full moon day starts at 10:58 AM on Aug 30 2023 and ends on Aug 31 at 7:05 AM in the morning.
So according to the tithi, I’d recommend you to do the rituals on 30 Aug 2023 because on 31 Aug Purnima only lasts for an hour after sunrise.
And as I mentioned above you should not tie Rakhi during Bhadra kaal.
(Note the muhurats below are based on the location of Delhi. So for people not in Delhi, it might be a few minutes late or early).
On Aug 30 Bhadra Kaal starts at 10:58 AM as the moon is transiting through Vishti Karana (Karana are the 2 parts of Tithi) & it ends on 30 Aug at 9:02 PM.
As Bhadra kaal passes you can do all the rituals of Rakhi.
And if you need a more auspicious muhurat then you can do the rituals in Chaughadiya muhurats.
The auspicious chaughadiya muhurat on Aug 30 2023 are as follows:
- Shubha – Good 08:09 PM to 09:34 PM (Only after 9:02 pm)
- Amrita – Best 09:34 PM to 10:58 PM
And for Aug 31, 2023:
- Labha – Gain 03:10 AM to 04:34 AM
- Shubha – Good 05:58 AM to 07:34 AM
And yes you can tie Rakhi at night.
What type of Rakhi should you use on Raksha Bandhan?
Nowadays you’ll find plastic Rakhi, electronic Rakhi, Rakhi made up of gold & silver, and a lot more!
But what type of Rakhi did we use back during the time of Ancient India?
Let me tell you, from what I’ve heard from my guru.
In the period of ancient India, we used Rakhis made of Kusha, and it is also known as Darbha & Pavitram.
And we used cotton fabric/Suti Kapda after coloring it with haldi/turmeric or Kumkum and
We also used Rakhi made up of Reshmi kapda/Silk fabric after tying Akshat(nonbroken rice), along with Chandan/Sandalwood, Peeli sarso/yellow mustard, Elaichi/Cardamom, and Laung/Clove.
After tying these ingredients in a Reshmi kapda/Silk fabric, we made a Rakhi so sisters can tie it to brothers.
If you’re not interested in getting modern Rakhis, then I’d recommend you try these rakhis (mentioned above) from Ancient India and yes you can also use kalaava/ cotton threads that we use in poojas.
FAQs on Raksha Bandhan
Why do we celebrate Raksha Bandhan?
Raksha Bandhan is a special festival that celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters. On this day, sisters tie a Rakhi/Sacred thread, on the wrists of their brothers. The festival of Raksha Bandhan is a symbol of love, protection, and unity.
Brothers promise to take care of their sisters and protect them from any harm.
How is Raksha Bandhan celebrated?
On this day, Brothers and sisters must take a bath & do Ganesh pooja or Panchdev pooja to seek their blessings. After seeking the blessings of devi-devtas, Sister should proceed to tie rakhi in an auspicious muhurat.
During the auspicious muhurat Sisters should prepare a tilak, with akshat (Non-broken rice), & offer the tilak to the brother. And offer sweets to each other as gifts.
Sisters should also offer rakhi & sweets to Shri, Ganesh, Shri Krishna, or Shri Hanuman ji. Following up with tying Rakhi/sacred thread on the wrist of their brothers.
Siblings should offer gifts to each other, nowadays, brothers offer money and gifts.
Rakhi 2023 Shubh Muhurat
The auspicious chaughadiya muhurat on Aug 30 2023 are as follows:
- Shubha – Good 08:09 PM to 09:34 PM (Only after 9:02 pm)
- Amrita – Best 09:34 PM to 10:58 PM
And for Aug 31, 2023:
- Labha – Gain 03:10 AM to 04:34 AM
- Shubha – Good 05:58 AM to 07:34 AM
Importance of Raksha Bandhan
Raksha Bandhan is important because it signifies the love and unity between the brother and sister and this auspicious occasion reminds us about the vow of the brother to protect his sister.
It is also important because of the historical events of Sanatan dharma behind Raksha Bandhan, this encourages all brothers to protect their sisters.
Can wife tie rakhi bandhan to husband?
No, absolutely not! Only a sister can tie Rakhi to her brother.
The Wife is a life partner/Dharampatni of the Husband, you may have heard about Indra Dev and his wife Sachi to tie Rakhi but that was not Rakhi.
It was a Raksha sutra, Rakhi is completely different from Raksha sutra.
If someone who doesn’t have a sister wants to get Raksha sutra then you can ask a knowledgeable Brahman/Pandit Ji to tie a Raksha sutra on his wrist.
Similarly, a wife can tie a raksha sutra to her husband but NOT RAKHI.
Great information❤️, Keep it up 🙌
Thank you!