Rakhi Bridging the Gaps for Society

Festivals are one of the most opportune moments for social gatherings and renewing familial ties. Rakshabandhan is one such festival which brings members of the family and society together. The festival primarily focuses on the relationship between a brother and sister. In a rapidly urbanizing world where personal relationships come second to commerce, the festival is a refreshing break.

On this auspicious day, brothers and sisters reach out to each other and pray for well being and wish each other happiness and goodwill. The joyous meeting and reunions calls for massive celebrations, and people celebrate the occasion with lot of joy and gaiety. It is a time for some light hearted cheer, merry making and exchange of pleasantries and gifts. The tradition of gifting is one such unique feature of this festival. Gifting is meant to show that the recipient of the gifts is special and it is a gesture of love and adoration. And as the name Rakshabandhan suggests, the sacred thread Rakhi which the sister ties around the wrist of the brother is a bond of protection. On this particular occasion after the sisters had tied the silk thread on their brother's wrist, the brothers then take a vow to take care of their sisters for all time and gift her with various presents. In Indian tradition, the sacred thread of rakhi is considered to be so powerful and if a woman ties the thread on anyone, he is bound to treat her like his own sister and protect her at all costs. There are many instances in history that illustrates this.  When Bahadur Shah attacked Chittor, Rani Karnawati, the widowed sent a rakhi to the Mughal emperor Humayun. The Mughal emperor touched by this gesture set out immediately with his army to help the forces of Chittor.

The festival of Rakshabandhan is not confined to only brother-sister relationships, but it also celebrates sibling-like family ties between cousins, distant family members and even acquaintances. The festival is largely secular nowadays and it transcends biological boundaries bringing together people across religions and diverse ethnic groups with ritual wishes and gift giving traditions. Rakhi gifts for sisters are sent not only to the real ones but to anyone whom we love and care and consider as sisters. Even if one is far away from the country and cannot be present there in time for the occasion, they send rakhi gifts and wishes online or through couriers. Online shopping for Rakhi is a rapidly rising phenomenon with many sites providing a plethora of gift ideas and easy delivery services. Nowadays, sending Rakhi gifts to sister is possible from any part of the world and people don’t have to miss out on the festival on account of long distances.