5 Raksha Bandhan stories that you might not know about

Raksha Bandhan is an embodiment of the bond of love, affection and care shared by every brother and sister. Every year, the Hindu community in India celebrate this day with joy and excitement, adhering to all the traditions and rituals. Today the rakhi festivities are mainly revolving around a sister tying a sacred thread around her brother’s wrist, but there are a lot of known and unknown facts about how and why this festival is celebrated. We all know that the day of Rakhi is celebrated on the full moon day of the Shravan month according to Hindu mythology, but do you know how it started or was celebrated the first time and why?

All these questions will be answered by the following fascinating stories about Raksha Bandhan that you didn't know about.

It all began with a husband and wife

This might sound a lot weird, but the festival of siblings love ‘ Raksha Bandhan’ actually started out between spouses. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Indra was threatened by demons, his wife Indrani tied a thread to protect him in the war against them. And over the years, this same traditions became one between brothers and sisters.

Connection to Mahabharat

It is said in the Hindu folklore and mythology, that once Lord Krishna got a cut on his finger while flying a kite than Drapaudi came to his rescue and bandaged the wound with a piece of a cloth torn from her dupatta. Lord Krishna in return promised to protect her which he kept as we all know from the Cheer Haran story.

Mughals and Rajputs

According to the historical documentation, Rani Karnavati of Chittor had sent a rakhi to the Mughal emperor Humayun, asking for his help when the forces of Bahadur Shah attacked her kingdom. Humanyun rushed to her rescue but unfortunately was too late and the queen had performed jauhar. He still kept his promise and defeated the Shah and gave the kingdom to her son.

Connection with Lord Ganesh

Once Lord Ganesha was celebrating Raksha Bandhan with his sister, who tied a sacred thread around his wrist for his protection. Seeing this, Lord Ganesha’s sons, Subh and Labh asked him for a sister so they can also celebrate the day of Raksha Bandhan. Lord Ganesha fulfilled the wishes of his sons and created a daughter out of the fire, who came to be worshipped by many as Santoshi Ma.

For communal harmony

The Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore envisioned Raksha Bandhan as a celebration of humanity and mankind. During the time of partition of Bengal, he urged both Hindus and Muslims to tie rakhis and spread the feeling of brotherhood and unity.

So, celebrate this Raksha Bandhan with your family and add your own story to this age-old ritual of brother and sister love. If you have any rakhi gift shopping left until now then have a look at our collection of gifts and flower and get them delivered to your loved ones with online flower delivery services.