These Are The 5 Reasons Why We Celebrate Raksha Bandhan!

It is great that we are learning all about How to make Rakhis at home, buying pretty Rakhis, shopping for some great Indian clothes but it is also important to know why we celebrate Raksha Bandhan. I have just made life easy for all the moms who wanted to let their children know why we celebrate Raksha Bandhan.

So I am not going to share the cliched stuff with you about how Rakhi is a popular festival of India, and celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters. The festival has a tremendous social and cultural significance. It is the celebration of love amongst siblings. So there are a couple of stories and you can choose which one would appeal the most to your child and then narrate it to them!
Indra and Indrani:
In the Vedic period, on a ‘Shravan Poornima’ day (Full Moon Day of the Hindu month of Shravan), the deities and the demons were fighting a battle against each other. Unfortunately, the demons were in a stronger position than the deities. The king of the deities, Lord Indra, was very worried about the result of the battle. His wife Indrani (also known as Shashikala) could not see him worried and prayed to the almighty. She prepared a talisman with her religious power and tied it around Indra’s right wrist, to safeguard Indra from the attack made by the demons. The talisman kept her belief and on that particular day, deities won the battle and Lord Indra escaped unhurt.

Yama and Yamuna:
Yamuna was the sister of Lord Yama, the God of Death. On every “Shravan Purnima”, Yamuna used to tie a sacred thread (Rakhi) to Lord Yama. Since then, it has become a tradition for sisters to tie Rakhi to their brothers on this day. In return, the brothers bestow blessings on their sisters and promise to protect them from their problems and difficulties that they might ever face.

King Bali and Goddess Laxmi:
According to the mythology, Raja Bali was such a great devotee of Lord Vishnu that Lord Indra felt insecure. Indra worshipped Vishnu and asked the Lord to help him save his throne. Vishnu accepted Indra’s prayer and overthrew Bali. Later, Vishnu gave Bali the boon of immortality and also promised to take care of his kingdom. To keep his promise, Vishnu left his residence, ‘Vaikunthdham’, and went to safeguard Bali’s kingdom.

Soon, Goddess Laxmi, wife of Lord Vishnu, went to Raja Bali, as a poor Brahmin lady, and requested him for shelter. She regarded Bali as her brother and tied a Rakhi on to his wrist, on the ‘Shravan Poornima’ day. When Bali wished to give her some present, she told him her true identity and the reason for her arrival. She also asked Bali to send Lord Vishnu back to Vaikunthdham. Raja Bali immediately requested Lord Vishnu and Goddess Laxmi to return.

King Porus and Alexander’s Wife:
The ancient history of India tells us that when Alexander the great came to India, to make it a part of his kingdom, he was resisted by the brave King Porus. The bravery of Porus led the Alexander’s wife to doubt the safety of her husband. Soon, she sent Porus a rakhi and became his sister. This is the reason why Porus never harmed Alexander.

Maharani Karnawati and Emperor Humayun:
In the Medieval Indian history, the tale of Maharani Karnawati and Mughal Emperor Humayun relates to the tradition of Rakhi. Maharani Karnawati was the queen of the Rajput Kingdom, Chittor, in Rajasthan. When Chittor was threatened by Bahadur Shah of Mewar, the Maharani sent a Rakhi to Humayun, the Mughal Emperor of Delhi, and called him for help. Humayun was aware of the significance of Rakhi in the Hindu community, so he immediately accepted her request to protect her.

So whichever one it maybe promise me you will narrate at least one of the stories to your child. Always ask your child questions related to the story you just narrated simply to find out how much they have understood. Go ahead, make your Rakshabandhan special with these five stories!

Image source: www.wilsonstuart.co.uk

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