Raksha Bhandan: A Hindu Tradition

Especially at this time of social distancing and uncertainty, a celebration of the lifelong bond of siblings is powerful. Today is Raksha Bhandan, a Hindu festival that celebrates platonic love. I feel especially lucky to have grown up with rich cultural traditions, some of which I hope to discuss in this blog.

*Never leave a rakhi or any other thread tied around an unsupervised child’s limb

What Is Raksha Bhandan?

The literal translation of Raksha Bhandan in Sanskrit is “bond of protection” (Raksha: amulet of protection; Bhandan: verb, to tie).

During the festival, a sister ties a special silk thread (a Rakhi) around the wrist of her brother. She prays for his lifelong happiness and success. In return, the brother promises her lifelong love and protection.

The Origins Of Raksha Bhandan

Many mythological stories exist about the origin of Rakhsha Bhandan. One of the most well-known is the story of Krishna and Draupadi in the Hindu epic “Mahabarata”. In the story, Krishna is bleeding and Draupadi ties a piece of her sari around his wrist to stem the flow of blood. In return, Krishna promises to protect Draupadi from harm and fulfills his promise when he protects her during an effort by the Kauvaras to dishonor her.

Alexander The Great

The tradition of Rakhi has historically been used to strengthen alliances, and can supersede biology. It is generally thought that if a man accepts a Rakhi from a woman, he is obligated to honor his duty and protect her.

There are even references to Rakhi in stories about Alexander the Great as he attempted to expand his empire. When Alexander tried to conquer Northern India, he was foiled by the courageous King Poras of the Pauravas.

According to some legends, Alexander’s wife Roxana was concerned that King Poras would harm her husband, and she sent a Rakhi to King Poras, who accepted her as his sister.

Later, during the battle of Hydaspes (circa 326 BC), King Poras chose to stand by his promise and refrained from killing Alexander. Although King Poras ultimately lost the battle, he won Alexander’s respect and was allowed to retain control of his own kingdom and more under Alexander.  

Final Thoughts

This year in particular, Raksha Bhandan provides an opportunity for perspective.

Although many brothers and sisters will not be able to spend the day together, and this time is challenging, these bonds are lifelong, and will exist beyond COVID-19.