Raksha Bandhan, also Rakshabandhan,[1] or Rakhi, is a popular, traditionally Hindu, annual rite which is central to a festival of the same name, and celebrated in South Asia, or among people of South Asian origin around the world. On this day, sisters of all ages tie a talisman, or amulet, called the rakhi, around the wrists of their brothers, ritually protecting their brothers, receiving a gift from them in return, and traditionally investing the brothers with a share of the responsibility of their potential care.[2] Differing versions of the rite have been traditionally performed by Hindus in northern India,[3][4][5] western India,[6] Nepal,[7] and former colonies of the British Empireto which Hindus had emigrated from India in the 19th-century, and have included, in addition, rites with names rendered as Saluno,[8][9]Silono,[10] and Rakri.[11] The rituals associated with these rites, however, have spread beyond their traditional regions and have been transformed through technology and migration,[12] the movies,[13] social interaction,[14] and promotion by politicized Hinduism,[15][16] as well as by the nation state.[17]
Raksha Bandhan is observed on the last day of the Hindu lunar calendar month of Shraavana, which typically falls in August.[18][19] The expression "Raksha Bandhan," Sanskrit, literally, "the bond of protection, obligation, or care," is now principally applied to this ritual. It has also applied to a similar ritual in which a domestic priest ties amulets, charms, or threads on the wrists of his patrons and receives gifts of money.[11][20] A ritual associated with Saluno includes the sisters placing shoots of barley behind the ears of their brothers.[8]
Of special significance to married women, Raksha Bandhan is rooted in the practice of territorial exogamy, in which a bride marries outof her natal village or town, and her parents, by custom, do not visit her in her married home.[21] In rural north India, where territorial exogamy is strongly prevalent, large numbers of married Hindu women travel back to their parents' homes every year for the ceremony.[22][23] Their brothers, who typically live with the parents or nearby, sometimes travel to their sisters' married home to escort them back. Many younger married women arrive a few weeks earlier at their natal homes and stay until the ceremony.[24] The brothers serve as life-long intermediaries between their sisters' married- and parental homes,[25] as well as potential stewards of their security. In urban India, where families are increasingly nuclear, and marriages not always traditional, the festival has become more symbolic, but continues to be highly popular.
Among women and men who are not blood relatives, there is also a transformed tradition of voluntary kin relations, achieved through the tying of rakhi amulets, which have cut across caste and class lines,[26] and Hindu and Muslim divisions.[27] In some communities or contexts, other figures, such as a matriarch, or a person in authority, can be included in the ceremony in ritual acknowledgement of their benefaction.[28] Raksha Bandhan is also celebrated by Hindu communities in other parts of the world.[29][30] Although rooted in Hindu culture, the festival has no traditional prayers unambiguously associated with it. The religious myths claimed for it are disputed, and the historical stories associated with it considered apocryphal by some historians.[31][32] More recently, after enactment of more gender-neutral inheritance laws in India, it has been suggested that in some communities the festival has seen a resurgence of celebration, which is serving to indirectly pressure women to abstain from fully claiming their inheritance.[33]
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Etymology, meaning, and usage[edit]
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, Third Edition, 2008, the Hindi word, rākhī derives from the Sanskrit rakṣikā, a join: rakṣā protection, amulet ( < rakṣ- to protect + -ikā, diminutive suffix.)[34]
- 1829 The first attested use in the English language dates to 1829, in James Tod's, Ann. & Antiq. Rajasthan I. page: 312, "The Rajpoot dame bestows with the Rakhi the title of adopted brother; and while its acceptance secures to her all the protection of a ‘cavaliere servente’, scandal itself never suggests any other tie to his devotion."[34]
- 1857 Forbes, Duncan (1857), A dictionary, Hindustani and English, accompanied by a reversed dictionary, English and Hindustani, London: S. Low, Marston, p. 474, Saluno: the full moon in Sawan at which time the ornament called rakhi is tied around the wrist.
- 1884 John T. Platts (1884), A Dictionary of Urdu, Classical Hindi and English, London: W. H. Allen and Co (Data last updated February 2015) defines: راکهي राखी rākhī (p. 582) H راکهي राखी rākhī [S. रक्षिका], s.f. A piece of thread or silk bound round the wrist on the festival of Salūno or the full moon of Sāvan, either as an amulet and preservative against misfortune, or as a symbol of mutual dependence, or as a mark of respect; the festival on which such a thread is tied;—fee paid for protection; (local) the portion of the land of a village which is assigned for the maintenance of a watchman;—the black mail formerly levied by the Sikhs in the parganas on the Jamnā:—rākhī-bandhan, s.f. The festival called rākhī, q.v." nary.
- 1899 This is echoed in Monier-Williams, M. (1899), A Sanskrit-English dictionary: Etymologically and philologically arranged with special reference to Cognate Indo-European languages, Oxford: The Clarendon Press, p. 869, Rakshā: "a sort of bracelet or amulet,any mysterious token used as a charm, ... a piece of thread or silk bound round the wrist on partic occasions (esp. on the full moon of Śrāvaņa, either as an amulet and preservative against misfortune, or as a symbol of mutual dependence, or as a mark of respect.
- 1990 According to anthropologist Jack Goody (1990), rakśābandhan is "cognate with the Sanskrit name for marriage, saṃbandhan, where the common element bandhan(Sanskrit: bandhá) refers to the act of tying. The ceremonies are complementary. Marriage (sam, reciprocally) ties spouses; rakśābandhan ties brother and sister."[35] Goody further echoes Platts and Monier-Williams when he states: "The ceremony itself involves the visit of women to their brothers ... on a specific day of the year when they tie a gaudy decoration on the right wrists of their brothers, which is at once a defence against misfortune, a symbol of dependence, and a mark of respect."
- 1965–1975: राखी १ "राखी १— संज्ञा स्त्री० [सं० रक्षा] वह मंगलसूत्र जो कुछ विशिष्ट अवसरों पर, विशेपतः श्रावणी पूर्णिमा के दिन ब्राह्मण या और लोग अपने यजमानों अथवा आत्मीयों के दाहिने हाथ की कलाई पर बाँधते हैं । (That Mangalsutra (lucky or auspicious thread) which on special occasions, especially the full moon day of the month of Shravani, brahmins or others tie around the right wrist of their patrons or intimates.) From: Dasa, Syamasundara. Hindi sabdasagara. Navina samskarana. Kasi: Nagari Pracarini Sabha, 1965-1975. 4332 pp, the longest and best-known dictionary of Hindi.
- 1993 According McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993), The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-563846-2, the masculine Hindi noun rakśābandhan is composed of the Sanskrit loanword rakśā, a feminine noun, which means, "protection," "preservation," or "care." and a second Sanskrit loanword bandhan, a masculine noun, which means "fastening," or "tying together."[36]
- According to V. S. Apte's Revised Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary, 1957–1959, रक्षा pronounced rakṣā means, "protection," "preservation," or "guarding;"[37]
Regions[edit]
Scholars who have written about the ritual, have usually described the traditional region of its observance as north India; however, also included are: central India, western India and Nepal, as well other regions of India, and overseas Hindu communities such as in Fiji. Anthropologist Jack Goody, whose field study was conducted in Nandol, in Gujarat, describes Rakshabandhan as an "annual ceremony ... of northern and western India."[38] Anthropologist Michael Jackson, writes, "While traditional North Indian families do not have a Father's or Mother's Day, or even the equivalent of Valentine's Day, there is a Sister's Day, called Raksha Bandhan, ..."[39]Religious scholar J. Gordon Melton describes it as "primarily a North Indian festival."[40] Leona M. Anderson and Pamela D. Young describe it as "one of the most popular festivals of North India."[41] Anthropologist David G. Mandelbaum has described it as "an annual rite observed in northern and western India."[42] Other descriptions of primary regions are of development economist Bina Agarwal ("In Northern India and Nepal this is ritualized in festivals such as raksha-bandhan."[43]), scholar and activist Ruth Vanita ("a festival widely celebrated in north India."[44]), anthropologist James D. Faubion ("In north India this brother-sister relationship is formalized in the ceremony of 'Rakshabandhan.'"[45]), and social scientist Prem Chowdhry ("... in the noticeable revival of the Raksha Bandhan festival and the renewed sanctity is has claimed in North India."[46]).
Traditions[edit]
Anthropologist McKim Marriott in his "Little Communities in an Indigenous Civilization," (1955) describes an "Indian-wide" tradition of Rakhi-bandhan, or Raksha-bandhan, in which a priest ties charms around their patrons' wrists and receives gifts of money, and a local tradition of Saluno in Aligarh district of North India in which sisters place ears of sacred grains on the heads and behind the ears of their brother in affirmation of the brother's role as their real or potential protector.[47][48] Marriott's work also describes the field study of anthropologist Alan R. Beals in Namhalli, a village near Bangalore, who notes changes in the rakhi tradition brought on by modern technology.[48]
While Raksha Bandhan is celebrated in various parts of South Asia, different regions mark the day in different ways.
In the state of West Bengal and Odisha, this day is also called Jhulan Purnima. Prayers and puja of Lord Krishna and Radha are performed there. Sisters tie rakhi to brothers and wish immortality. Political parties, offices, friends, schools to colleges, street to palace celebrate this day with a new hope for a good relationship.[citation needed]
In Maharashtra, the festival of Raksha Bandhan is celebrated along with Narali Poornima (coconut day festival). Kolis are the fishermen community of the coastal state. The fishermen offer prayers to Lord Varuna, the Hindu god of Sea, to invoke his blessings. As part of the rituals, coconuts were thrown into the sea as offerings to Lord Varuna. The girls and women tie rakhi on their brother's wrist, as elsewhere.[49][50]
In the regions of North India, mostly Jammu, it is a common practice to fly kites on the nearby occasions of Janamashtami and Raksha Bandhan. It's not unusual to see the sky filled with kites of all shapes and sizes, on and around these two dates. The locals buy kilometres of strong kite string, commonly called as "gattu door" in the local language, along with a multitude of kites.[citation needed]
In Haryana, in addition to celebrating Raksha Bandhan, people observe the festival of Salono.[51] Salono is celebrated by priests solemnly tying amulets against evil on people's wrists.[52] As elsewhere, sisters tie threads on brothers with prayers for their well being, and the brothers give her gifts promising to safeguard her.[53]
In Nepal, Raksha Bandhan is referred to as Janai Purnima or Rishitarpani, and involves a sacred thread ceremony. It is observed by both Hindus and Buddhists of Nepal.[54] The Hindu men change the thread they wear around their chests (janai), while in some parts of Nepal girls and women tie rakhi on their brother's wrists. The Raksha Bandhan-like brother sister festival is observed by other Hindus of Nepal during one of the days of the Tihar (or Diwali) festival.[55]
The festival is observed by the Shaiva Hindus, and is popularly known in Newar community as Gunhu Punhi.[56]
Depiction in movies and popular literature[edit]
The religious myths claimed Raksha Bandhan are disputed, and the historical stories associated with it considered apocryphal by some historians.
Jai Santoshi Maa (movie)[edit]
Ganesha had two sons, Shubha and Labha. The two boys become frustrated that they have no sister to celebrate Raksha Bandhan with. They ask their father Ganesha for a sister, but to no avail. Finally, saint Narada appears who persuades Ganesha that a daughter will enrich him as well as his sons. Ganesha agreed, and created a daughter named Santoshi Maa by divine flames that emerged from Ganesh's wives, Riddhi (Amazing) and Siddhi (Perfection). Thereafter, Shubha Labha (literally "Holy Profit") had a sister named Santoshi Maa (literally "Goddess of Satisfaction"), to tie Rakhi over Raksha Bandhan.[57]
Sikandar (movie, 1939)[edit]
Film historian Arthur Pomeroy describes the manufacture of a modern and widespread Indian legend in the 1939 movie Sikandar:[31]
[edit]
Another controversial historical account is that of Rani Karnavati of Chittor and Mughal Emperor Humayun, which dates to 1535 CE. When Rani Karnavati, the widowed queen of the king of Chittor, realised that she could not defend against the invasion by the Sultan of Gujarat, Bahadur Shah, she sent a rakhi to Emperor Humayun. The Emperor, according to one version of the story, set off with his troops to defend Chittor. He arrived too late, and Bahadur Shah had already captured the Rani's fortress. Alternative accounts from the period, including those by historians in Humayun's Mughal court, do not mention the rakhi episode and some historians have expressed skepticism whether it ever happened.[58] Humayun's own memoirs never mention this, and give different reasons for his war with Sultan Bahadur Shah of Gujarat in 1535.[59]
Rabindranath Tagore and the Bengal partition of 1905[edit]
Rabindranath Tagore, the Indian Nobel Laureate for literature, invoked Raksha Bandhan and rakhi as concepts to inspire love, respect and a vow of mutual protection between Hindus and Muslims during India's colonial era.[60] In 1905, the British empire divided Bengal, a province of British India on the basis of religion. Rabindra Nath Tagore arranged a ceremony to celebrate Raksha Bandhan to strengthen the bond of love and togetherness between Hindus and Muslims of Bengal, and urge them to together protest the British empire. He used the idea of Raksha Bandhan to spread the feeling of brotherhood. In 1911, British colonial empire reversed the partition and unified Bengal, a unification that was opposed by Muslims of Bengal. Ultimately, Tagore's Raksha Bandhan-based appeals were unsuccessful. Bengal not only was split during the colonial era, one part became modern Bangladesh and predominantly Muslim country, the other a largely Hindu Indian state of West Bengal. Rabindranath Tagore started Rakhi Mahotsavas as a symbol of Bengal unity, and as a larger community festival of harmony.[61] In parts of West Bengal, his tradition continues as people tie rakhis to their neighbors and close friends.[62]
One of Tagore's poem invoking rakhi is:[63]
Sikh history[edit]
In the 18th century, states Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair, Sikh Khalsa armies introduced the term Rakhi (Raksha Bandhan) as a promise of protection to farmers from Muslim armies such as those of the Mughals and Afghans, in exchange for sharing a small cut of their produce.[64][65]
Maharaja Ranjit Singh was the founder and ruler of the Sikh Empire, and he observed Raksha Bandhan festival.[66] His wife Maharani Jindan sent a Rakhi to the ruler of Nepal, who accepted her as sister and gave her refuge in the Hindu kingdom of Nepal in 1849 after the collapse of the Sikh Empire and annexation of its territories by the British.[67][68]
Sikhs have observed Raksha Bandhan festival, and has sometimes been referred to as Rakhardi (literally, wristband)[69] or Rakhari in historic Sikh texts.[70][71][72] Like the Hindu tradition, the festival has involved the tying of the rakhi and giving of gifts.[73][74]
Multi-culturalism and activism[edit]
Some Muslims in India view it a secular, multicultural festival.[75] Raksha bandhan has also been adopted by the Christian community in India who view it as a festival of historical and social importance.[76]
In 2015, men tied rakhis on women seeking protection from the ‘misuse’ of section 498A of the Indian Penal Code. "Society has gone through massive changes in the last few decades and men are now considered on the same platform with women. Why should laws show a discrimination against them?" asked Amartya Talukdar, founder member of Hridaya, an NGO working for gender neutrality.[7
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