Raksha Bandhan is a festival that is celebrated by brothers and sisters with much vim and vigor. The different regions of India experience a distinct hue of the festival. In this article, we have tried to sum up the different traditions and the distinct ways India celebrates this one festival. If you are curious to know the different traditions then keep reading the article.
Indian festivals are marked with endless celebrations, exchanging gifts, and festivities. Rakhi or Raksha Bandhan is one such occasion and is a significant festival in India. Every year during the period of July - August, Indians across various parts of the country celebrate the Rakhi festival with much enthusiasm. This day marks the love of brothers and sisters. On this day, the sister prays for the well-being and long life of the brother and the brother promises to stand by and protect his sister against all ups and downs in life. The mode of celebration for this joyful event has changed but the purpose and intent of celebrations have remained unchanged.
A popular festival like Raksha Bandhan is celebrated all around the world with a lot of pomp and vigor. The love of brother and sister manifests itself in the form of the Rakhi thread that the sister ties to the wrist of her brother while her brother promises to protect her forever. However, there are various other rituals that surround this and it obviously includes the gifts that are exchanged on Rakhi. The traditions that surround this festival vary from place to place, like Jhulan Purnima and Narali Purnima. Apart from these, a number of other customs or special events are also making their way to different parts of the world, especially in India. Every region has a distinct way of celebrating Raksha Bandhan but what remains constant is the traditional holy thread that is used in every tradition. Send rakhi to India, to any region of India, and celebrate the day.
Rakhi Celebration in Southern Parts
In Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and certain parts of Orissa, the Rakhi festival is known as Avani Avittam or Upakrama. An important occasion for people belonging to the Brahmin Community is the day when Brahmins change their holy threads.
Rakhi Celebration in Eastern Parts of India
In states like Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh, people call the Rakhi festival Shravani or Kajari. This day has special significance to farmers and women residing there. On that very day, women collect a cup of soil to store it in a dark room. They worship the room for seven days till Kajari Purnima arrives. They offer prayers to God for the well-being of their child, and members of their family, and for a good harvest.
Rakhi Celebrations in Western Part of India
For the people of the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, and Karnataka, this festival is known as Nariyal Purnima or Coconut Full Moon. Rakhi here signifies, the onset of a new season for the coastal states dependent on the sea.
Rakhi Celebration in the Gujarati Community
Celebrated in some parts of Gujarat, by the name of Pavitropana, it is the day when people worship Lord Shiva, the three-eyed God. A grand Puja marked by celebrations marks this occasion. In short, the celebration of the Rakhi festival in different parts of India represents the diverse cultural backgrounds of the country. Therefore, it can be said that the Rakhi festival symbolizes the unity of thought and emotion.
Rakhi Celebration in Delhi
The national capital region of Delhi gets decked up to celebrate Raksha Bandhan many days in advance. For many busy siblings, this is the only time of the year that they get to meet and they try to get the most out of this one day. The celebration of Raksha Bandhan takes place at a time when it is rainy season in Delhi as well as the rest of India. But the siblings brave all types of weather to reach each other and spend the whole day together. They spend a lot of time choosing Rakhis as well as exclusive gifts for each other from beautifully decorated shops. As a special treat, sisters also get to ride the bus for free during this day while the number of metro rails plying the area vastly increased. A very important tradition of this event is that both siblings wear purely traditional dresses which showcase their culture and heritage.
Rakhi Celebration in Vrindavan
It is a very well-known fact that Vrindavan is a very holy city for the Hindus and hence it is also the home of several widows. However, we are hardly aware of the new custom that started in Vrindavan a few years back. Widows, who were once considered to be unlucky by many people, are now participating in the celebration of Rakhi here. Earlier they were kept away from any kind of happy occasion but now they are very happy to tie Rakhis on the wrists of children, religious priests, and also many others. Their joy knows no bounds now as they are spending the day very ceremoniously and participating in the many cultural programs that are generally organized for the day.
They also had food with school children and upper caste Brahmin, further breaking the myths that surround the miseries of widowhood. The Rakhis that they tie is made by their own hands and this process starts many months in advance in the anticipation of this big day. A similar kind of initiative has also been taking place in the holy city of Varanasi which is also home to a number of widows. This has been a revolutionary change in the lives of widows in Vrindavan and Varanasi.
Rakhi Celebration in Jammu & Kashmir
Jammu & Kashmir is the northernmost state of this country and Rakhi is celebrated here with a great amount of fervor and enthusiasm. The state observes this festival very traditionally with sisters tying Rakhis on the wrists of their brothers. Elder sisters bless their brothers while the younger ones ask for their brothers’ blessings both wish the other a happy life. Traditionally, the other important custom that is performed on this day is the kite flying festival. This event is a very popular one with several colorful kites of various shapes flying in the sky all throughout the day.
Apart from these traditional methods of celebrating this day, Raksha Bandhan is also celebrated in a unique manner here. Jammu & Kashmir shares its border with three different countries, namely, Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan. For this reason, a large number of soldiers from the Indian Army are posted in this area at all times. These soldiers, who are constantly working for our safety, have to live away from their families and friends. This becomes hard for them, especially during a joyous festival like Raksha Bandhan and they must be missing them a lot. Hence, a new tradition has been started in this area which ensues that schoolgirls tie Rakhi threads on the wrists of these soldiers. This brings a lot of joy for these soldiers as they pledge to protect these newfound sisters and sweets are also exchanged on this occasion.
If you are somewhere near these regions then maybe you must be experiencing these different and unique rituals. But if you are away from home then you must be missing out on all the fun and celebrations that are going on at home. You can still become a part of this occasion with your family by sending rakhi gifts to India for them. There are many kinds of gifts and sacred threads available on this online Rakhi store for Raksha Bandhan. These wonderful rakhi gifts to India options can surely make this year’s Raksha Bandhan a day to remember.
