Did You Know?
Rakhi’s roots can be traced to Mahabharata
Here are some ancient yet cool facts about this treasured Indian festival cherishing the bond between brothers and sisters
Raksha Bandhan, or Rakhi, is an auspicious festival celebrating the unbreakable and special bonds between siblings. Certainly it holds a lot of significance. One of the legends associated with this festival originates from the epic Mahabharata. Yes!
As fascinating as it may sound, the first rakhi of the world may have been tied on Shri Krishna’s hand by Draupadi. Going by the epic of Mahabharata, once Lord Krishna cut his hand accidentally while flying a kite. Draupadi, who was standing near to the Lord, quickly tore off a piece from her saree and tied it on his hand to stop the blood. Seeing such a sisterly care, Shri Krishna also promised to protect Draupadi in times of distress, which he later did in the epic.
Another interesting anecdote is that Rani Karnavati of Chittor had sent a rakhi to Mughal emperor Humayun. This incident occurred when Chittor was attacked by Bahadur Shah, the Sultan of Gujrat. While Humayun was late in saving Rani Karnavati, nevertheless he honoured the bond of rakhi by defeating the Sultan and handing over the reins of Chittor to Rani Karnavati’s son.
Rakhi was also used as a tool towards national integration by India’s national poet Rabindra Nath Tagore. The Nobel laureate organised large scale celebrations in which Hindus and Muslims tied Rakhi to one another. Even today, Rakhi is celebrated in India by people across diverse faiths.
The transport department of Haryana celebrates Rakhi in a unique and wholesome manner. It gives out free bus rides to women with children up to the age of 15, ensuring that they can visit their brother’s house with ease on the auspicious occasion.
While honouring these beautiful tales, let us look forward to celebrating this festival with loads of joy and warm.
