The Folklore of Rakshabandhan
Rakshabandhan is a festival widely celebrated by Hindus and Jains in India every year. Most of us remember it as the day when a sister ties a Rakhi to her brother, and the brother promises to protect her. But do you know the origin story of this festival, like we do for Diwali and Holi?
Today, let’s explore some alternate stories and folklore around Rakshabandhan, which are rarely known.
Rakshabandhan is traditionally celebrated on the full moon day of the month of Shravana (श्रवण/सावन), which usually marks the monsoon season in most of North India. Observing the tradition from my own home and among my friends, I see that married sisters often travel to their brother’s home on this day. They perform a small Pooja together, followed by the mandatory Tilak, tasty sweets, and a coconut offering. Then, the sister ties a Rakhi on his brother’s hand. In return, the brother promises protection and gives a customary gift. This day is a joyous traditional holiday, with Rakhis from cousins often arriving by courier and gifts being sent in return. In my hometown, people also fly kites on this day, making it a great opportunity for extended family bonding. It nurtures the relationship between married sisters and often married brothers, giving sisters the right to ask for their brother’s definitive attention at least once a year.
But what about the origins of Rakshabandhan? How old is this festival, and what’s the story behind it?
The beauty of Sanatan Dharma is that many traditions come from both top-down and bottom-up, leading to perfect assimilation in the middle. Festivals that come from the bottom-up are particularly fascinating because they are not heavily dictated by religious scriptures but instead sprout from village-level traditions and organic needs. Let’s dive into the fascinating folklore of Rakshabandhan, based on my readings from different sources and some oral traditions.
Bottom-Up: In historic times, when most of our ancestors lived in villages, Exogamy (marrying the daughter outside the village) was a common practice. Traditionally, parents did not visit their daughter’s in-laws unless very important. Most of the time, daughters came to visit their parents and brothers. For daughters, this was an annual visit to their parental village. They would meet their childhood friends, discuss their lives, and experience feelings that anyone living outside their hometown can relate to. Monsoons often led to flooding and the risk of wild animals, so these stays at home could last a month or more. Daughters would come before the monsoons and leave afterward. Their Husbands would come to take them back, and the daughter’s family would take good care of their son-in-law with gifts and hospitality. But for the daughter, after spending more than a month, the attachment to home grows stronger, making separation a sad event.
Before any travel, a small religious ceremony would take place for safe travel. On the day the daughter was to leave, the family would go to the village temple to seek blessings from the priest. The priest would tie a thread on the hand as a common practice. All the brothers and cousins would assemble, exchanging last words until the next year. In these emotional moments between the sons and daughters of the house, the tradition of Rakshabandhan originated. Sisters would tie a sacred thread to their brothers for their protection and long life, and the brothers would promise to protect them and give customary gifts. This practice emerged organically, without dictation from religious scriptures, and it actually predates the scriptures. When the scriptures were written, this practice was included, along with many season-related festivals (e.g., Holi, Onam, Makar Sankranti etc).
Top-Down: Now, let’s explore the Puranic version of this festival. Here is an English translation from Bhavishya Purana of a conversation between Krishna and Yudhishthira:
“When the sky is covered with clouds, and the earth dark with new, tender grass, on the full moon day of Shravana, at sunrise, a Brahmin should take a bath with perfectly pure water. According to his ability, he should offer libations of water to the gods, to the paternal ancestors, as prescribed by the Vedas, to the sages, and carry out the shradh ceremony to honor the deceased. It is recommended that a Shudra should also make a charitable offering and take a bath accompanied by mantras. On the same day, in the early afternoon (between noon and 3 PM), a small parcel should be prepared from new cotton or silk cloth, adorned with whole grains of rice or barley, small mustard seeds, and red ocher powder, and placed in a suitable dish. The purohit should bind this packet on the king’s wrist with the words, ‘I am binding raksha (protection) to you with the same true words with which I bound Mahabali, King of the Asuras. Always stay firm in resolve.’ After offering prayers to the Brahmins, the Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras should conclude their Raksha Bandhan ceremony.”
This fascinating story adds another dimension to the tradition. Any curious soul would be intrigued by the mention of Mahabali. Living in South India, it’s hard not to be curious about the scale of Onam, the festival of Mahabali, which is celebrated here. It’s interesting that these two mega-festivals fall around the same time of the year. I wonder if their relation is long lost in the past.
So now we have both top-down (Purana episode) and bottom-up (village episode) validations for this festival. This makes Rakshabandhan more interesting to me. It’s a perfect example of how modern Sanatan Dharma has assimilated local practices instead of annihilating them. I wish all religions expanded like this.
Just a side-note: Please don’t believe the historically inaccurate story of Rani Karnavati asking Humayun to protect her and Chittor against attacks from the Gujarat Sultanate. These are fabricated events to portray Humayun (and by extension, the Mughals) as good kings among Hindus, often for political gains.
As a Jain, I must mention the tradition of the same day within my own religion. Jains celebrate this day by tying raksha-sutra (रक्षासूत्र) to each other, symbolizing one’s devotion to protect the religion. We often say, “धर्म की रक्षा करना ही रक्षाबंधन है” (protecting one’ religion is Rakshabandhan).
Here is a brief origin story from Jain tradition: Once upon a time, in a kingdom, there was a Jain-patron king who had four evil ministers. A group of 700 ascetics led by a great teacher was passing through the kingdom. They had taken a vow of silence that day. When the ministers approached them and received no response, they became disgruntled and reported to the king that the ascetics had not blessed him. Another Jain ascetic explained that the ascetics were observing silence. The king dismissed the ministers’ recommendation to punish the ascetics. The ministers, however, secretly attempted to kill the ascetics at night. The forest deity froze them, and in the morning, everyone laughed at them. The king expelled the ministers. They moved to another kingdom and became powerful. Years later, when the same group of ascetics passed through their new kingdom, the ministers sought vengeance by setting fire around the ascetics, attempting to burn them alive. The ascetics meditated, thinking that only the body can burn, not the soul. Villagers helped extinguish the fire and made kheer (a sweet liquid dish) for the ascetics, who could only consume liquids due to their burnt food pipes. Thus, Jains cook sewai (सेवई) on this day and vow to protect the religion and the ascetics.
So, these are three main folktales for Rakshabandhan. I hope you enjoyed reading them.
In conclusion, let’s address a modern liberal theme: Is Rakshabandhan regressive?
Critics argue that the festival implies sisters need protection from brothers, which contradicts gender equality. In the modern world, where gender equality is paramount, this perspective might seem problematic.
However, it is important to consider the cultural and emotional significance of Rakshabandhan. For many, it is a celebration of the bond between siblings, characterized by mutual love, respect, and care. Rather than focusing solely on protection, the festival can be seen as an expression of solidarity and support among family members.
In a modern context, Rakshabandhan can symbolize the mutual commitment of siblings to stand by each other, transcending traditional gender roles. This reinterpretation can help maintain the festival’s cultural heritage while promoting principles of equality and mutual respect.
Thus, while the traditional interpretation of Rakshabandhan might seem problematic from a gender equality perspective, its core values can be adapted to resonate with modern sensibilities, fostering a spirit of unity and support that transcends gender.
Based on the three stories, none of them seem problematic to me. Celebrate any of them, or all three if possible.
Let go of petty property disputes. Life is short, and what is it without the siblings we grew up with?
