The Secret Behind Rakhis

The bond between brothers and sisters is the strongest bond ever and the chastity of the relationship only solidifies this bond further. The festival of Raksha Bandhan is all about celebrating this bond. Also known as Rakhi, this celebration of the bond between siblings is celebrated across the nation. The central ceremony of Rakhi is all about sisters tying a sacred thread known as Rakhi around their brother’s wrists. Most Indian traditions have a scientific reason or logic for being that way and we decided to dig deeper about Raksha Bandhan. We are all familiar about the mythical and historical stories related to the origin of Rakhi, ranging from Draupadi and Krishna to Rani Karnavati to Humayun. So, we decided to focus on Rakhis, the most important item for this festival, and its evolution. Traditionally, the colour of the Rakhi was red and even today, it is the most prevalent colour when it comes to Rakhis. The red coloured Rakhi tied on the right wrist of the brother is symbolic of the fire element. And as per the Hindu belief, red stands for purity and a sister ties a red thread to ensure that there is strength, security, power and protection in the relationship. The whole idea behind the festival is that the sisters pray for the safety and prosperity of their brothers, while the brothers vow to safeguard and stand for their sisters. With time, the design of the Rakhis has also undergone various changes and now they come in numerous designs; some of them also come with miniatures of Gods and Goddesses. So, we went ahead and did a little research, which kind of surprised us. According to Vaastu experts, Rakhis with such figures is actually inauspicious and can strain relations between brothers and sisters. On the other hand, Rakhis with sacred symbols, like ‘aunkar’ or a ‘swastika’, are actually considered to be auspicious and do not have any harmful effects. Some people also use Rakhis made out of gold and silver but metal is also not a good option for a Rakhi and the best choice for buying Rakhis are the ones made of natural fibre. This Rakhi, be careful of what you buy for your brother and celebrate this festival that brings families closer.