Rakhi Muhurat, Best Time to tie Raksha Bandhan:- Brother and a sister share the special bond which is simply unique and beyond the description in words. The relationship between siblings is extraordinary and is given importance in all parts of the world.
However, in our country, the relationship becomes even more important as there is a festival called “Raksha Bandhan” dedicated to sibling love.
As its name implies, Raksha Bandhan is the celebration of the unmentioned promise each brother makes to his sister, to support and protect her through all obstacles in life.
It is the promise to appreciate the good times and fight against all odds with the unit. It is a day to remember the sweet little moments of childhood when the world was but a large playground to foster dreams together.
This is a special Hindu festival that is celebrated in Nepal and countries like India to symbolize the love between a brother and a sister. The Raksha Bandhan occasion is celebrated on the full moon day of the Hindu Lunisolar calendar in the month of Shravana, which usually falls on the August month of the Gregorian calendar.
The festival is made up of two words, which are Raksha and Bandhan. According to Sanskrit terminology, the Raksha represents protection and Bandhan means the verb to tie.
Together, the festival symbolizes the eternal love of the brother-sister relationship, which does not just mean blood relationships. It is also celebrated between cousins, sister and sister-in-law (Bhabhi), fraternal aunt (Phupu/Bua), and nephew (Bhatija) and other similar relationships.
It is believed that when a woman ties a rakhi around a man’s hand, it becomes obligatory for him to honor and protect his religious duty. Traditional stories claim that rakhis are blessed with and embraced by sacred verses.
Sometimes rakhis are consecrated in rice and grass before they are delivered, and traditionally they are tied by people familiar with the Vedas.
Following these customs, rakhi is believed to remove sin from one hand and provide security for the other. The protection offered by a rakhi is believed to remain for one year.
Importance of Raksha Bandhan between various religions in India
Hinduism: The festival is mainly celebrated by Hindus in the northern and western parts of India, along with countries like Nepal, Pakistan, and Mauritius.
Jainism: The occasion is also revered by the Jain community, where Jain priests give ceremonial threads to devotees.
On this occasion, the Brahmin priest ties the ceremonial thread to people in Hindu religious people in Nepal.
Sikhism- This festival dedicated to love between brothers is observed by Sikhs as “Rakhardi” or Rakhari.
Origin of the Raksha Bandhan Festival
The Raksha Bandhan festival is known to be originated centuries before. There are various stories related to Hindu mythology for the celebration of Raksha Bandhan which are described below:
1. Indra Dev and Sachi-
There was once a fierce battle between gods and demons, according to the ancient legend of Bhavishya Purana. Lord Indra is the main deity of the sky, the rains and the lightning that was fighting in the battle from the side of the gods were having a strong resistance from the powerful demon King, Bali.
The war continued for a long time and did not have a decisive end. Seeing this, Indra’s wife, Sachi, went to Lord Vishnu, who gave him a sacred bracelet made of cotton thread. Sachi tied the sacred thread around the wrist of her husband, Lord Indra, who finally defeated the demons and retrieved the Amaravati.
The festival’s previous account described these sacred threads as amulets that women used to pray and that were tied to their husbands when they went to war. Unlike today, those sacred threads were not limited to brother-sister relationships.
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2. Bali King and Goddess Lakshmi:
According to an account by Bhagavata Purana and Vishnu Purana, when Lord Vishnu won the three worlds of the demon King Bali, the demon king asked him to stay by his side in the palace. The Lord accepted the request and began living with the demon king.
However, the Goddess Lakshmi, wife of Lord Vishnu, wanted to return to her birthplace of Vaikuntha. So, she tied the rakhi around the demon king’s wrist, Bali, and made her a brother.
When Goddess Laxmi asked Bali to free her husband from the vow and let him return to Vaikuntha as a return gift. Bali accepted the request and Lord Vishnu returned to his place with his wife, the Goddess Lakshmi.
3. Santoshi Maa:
Lord Ganesha’s two sons, Shubh and Labh, are said to have been frustrated that they had no sister. They asked for a sister from her father who finally forced her sister to the intervention of Saint Narada.
This is how Lord Ganesha created Santoshi Maa through divine flames and Lord Ganesha’s two sons got their sister for the Raksha Bandhan occasion.
4. Krishna and Draupadi–
Based on a story from Mahabharat, Draupadi, wife of Pandavas, tied a rakhi to Lord Krishna while Kunti tied the rakhi to grandson Abhimanyu before the epic war.
5. Yama and the Yamuna:
Another legend says that the God of death, Yama, did not visit his sister Yamuna for a period of 12 years, which finally made her very sad.
Following Ganga’s advice, Yama went to meet his sister the Yamuna, who was very happy and offered hospitality to her brother, Yama. This made Yama delight in asking the Yamuna for a gift. She expressed her desire to see her brother over and over again.
Hearing this, Yama made his sister, Yamuna immortal so that he could see her over and over again. This mythological account forms the basis of the festival called “Bhai tika“, which is also based on the brother-sister relationship.
Reason for celebrating this festival.
The Raksha Bandhan festival is observed as a symbol of duty between brothers and sisters. The occasion is intended to celebrate any kind of brother-sister relationship between men and women that may not be biologically related.
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In the Rakhi festival, a sister ties a rakhi around the wrist of her brother and she prays to God for his good health, prosperity, and well-being. The brother in exchange offers gifts and promises to protect his sister from harm and under any circumstances.
The festival is also celebrated between siblings who belong to distant relatives, relatives or cousins.
- The social union
This ritual not only strengthens the bond of love between brothers and sisters but also transcends the limits of the family.
Tying the rakhi to the wrists of close friends and neighbors shows the need for a harmonious social life, in which individuals coexist peacefully as brothers and sisters. All members of the community pledge to protect each other and society in the Rakhi Utsav.
- The friendly knot
It wouldn’t wrong to say that the trendy friendship band is an extension of the Rakhi custom. When a girl feels that a friend of the opposite sex has developed a type of love too strong for her to reciprocate, she sends the young man a Rakhi and turns the relationship into a brotherly relationship.
This is a way of saying, “Let’s be friends,” while being sensitive to the other person’s feelings.
Why is Raksha Bandhan so special?
Customs as Raksha Bandhan is just a proof of that, where the sisters tie the holy thread of Rakhi in their the brothers’ right wrists and pray for their long life.
‘Raksha ‘means‘ protection ’and‘ Bandhan’ means “bond” making this a unique festival in India that glorifies all relationships, especially that of a special brother-sister relationship.
On this day, the brothers and sisters come to show their love, affection, care, respect, and union to strengthen the emotional bond of the family. This inimitable custom has become a festival emphasizing that everyone should live in harmonious coexistence with each other.
The month of Shravan is a godly month and the full moon this month is considered very sacred. It is celebrated in different ways for different reasons in the terai region in Nepal but nowadays, this custom is also flourishing in various parts of the country.
This delicate and artistic thread of Rakhi is considered stronger and symbolic of the indissoluble bond of love and trust between a brother and a sister.
Relationships are an important part of life that should be treasured. Our relationships with others are like bridges and we cannot afford to burn those bridges. This bond (Bandhan) of protection (Raksha) is only to reinforce this bridge from time to time. If you value a thing then only we protect it.
On this day, there is a celebration of the sacred festival known as Janai Purnima. This festival is an important day for Brahmins where Brahmin man changes their sacred thread by making a vow to perform their duties with good conduct as described in the Vedas.
In the Newari community, this day is also called Kwati where people eat the mixture of various cereals.
In which hand should the Rakhi tie?
Finally, it is time for the brothers to be pampered by their notorious sisters because the Raksha Bandhan festival is coming ahead! Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi, as short for affection, is celebrated throughout Nepal and India with great fervor on the day of the full moon in the month of Shravan on the lunar calendar.
Rakhi which is the thread of love and protection must be tied to the brother’s right hand because writing half of our body symbolizes manhood. As you must have seen in the photo of Lord Shiva in the form of Ardhanareshwar, where Shiva is shown as half male and half female.
The right side is always shown as the men’s side and the left side is shown as the women’s side. Then the sister ties Rakhi in the brother’s right hand so that her brother protects her with total virility.
And this is the reason why the priest ties the thread in the right hand of the man so that his virility is strengthened more and more by the grace of God and he can perform the duty of a man perfectly.
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Meaning
The left hand has a bad connotation in the Hindu religion. It is considered unfavorable. You may think it is superstitious. But it has roots in science and mythological tales.
One reason to consider the left hand to be unfavorable is the fact that people use the left hand primarily for cleaning purposes. Secondly, clockwise directions were invented by Hindus, who move from right to left and are used for all good rituals.
Clockwise direction is believed to be in order with the universe, while counterclockwise is counter-order, leading to disorder. Therefore, the right hand is very humbly extended for the rakhi tying ritual and that is why the left or right hand of rakhi will give you the answer: the right hand.
Furthermore, in many cultures and languages, the right is seen as lucky and the left as blasphemy. And the same is also noticeable in English culture.
Uncovering the layers of Ayurvedic Science, scholars discovered that this ancient system also advocates the use of the right hand to tie rakhi because it maintains the belief that Vata, Pitta, Kapha is regulated.
The human body is a wonder. It is made up of three doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha that regulate our behavior. The harmonious existence of these three body humor is vital for well-being. When a sister ties the rakhi in her right hand, these three bodily elements are regulated and lead to general well-being.
Importance of tying Rakhi
The festival derives its name from “Raksha”, which means protection and “Bandhan”, which means relationship, hence the name Raksha Bandhan. This festival is celebrated to honor the purest bond that exists between brother and sister.
The sister ties Rakhi (the holy thread) in her brother’s hand, and as she ties Rakhi, she prays for his long life and prosperity. It is the traditional way to wish a healthy, safe, and happy life for your brother.
For centuries, rakhi is believed to function as armor, meaning that it acts as a defensive mechanism powered by the blessing of a sister who protects her brother from all possibilities.
For successful Raksha Bandhan celebrations, three elements are of utmost importance. The presence of brother, sister, and Rakhi. With its sheer splendor and charm, rakhi seems to be the highlight of the Raksha Bandhan festival. The sisters spend hours and days searching for that perfect rakhi to adorn their brothers’ wrist.
The Rakhi rituals
In India, each festival is observed in a certain way according to the customs and rituals. On Rakhi’s day, the sisters dress in traditional clothing and then decorate their Rakhi Thalis.
The Thali contains tika, flowers, rakhi, sweets, and oil lamps. First, she puts tika on her brother’s forehead, followed by aarti, tying up rakhi and offering him sweets. In return, the brothers pledge to safeguard her life and surprise her with gifts.
Spiritual benefits of Raksha Bandhan
There is a benefit of the Sri Ganesh principle and the Sri Saraswati principle. The principles of Sri Ganesh and Sri Saraswati descend on Earth in greater proportion. By praying for the mutual protection of brother and sister, both benefit from these deity principles.
There is an increase in the Absolute Fire element. By stirring Arti, the frequencies of the Absolute Fire element are emitted by the lamp flame and help to enhance the Absolute Fire element in the brother.
Brother benefits from the Shakti principle. The Shakti principle is awakened in the woman who ties the rakhi. The brother benefits from this Shakti principle through the medium of rakhi.
The mutual give and take between brother and sister diminish. Generally, there is a 30% give and take into account between a brother and a sister. They complete their donations and subtly consider them through festivals like Rakhi Pournima.
Is the Rakhi festival known by other names in India?
- Rakhi is known by different names in India. With different regions and different languages, people know Rakhi by the festival’s regional names. For example, in both North and West India, the celebration is known as “Rakhi Purnima”.
- It is often called ‘Avani Avittam’ or ‘Upakarmam’ in South India. In the Western Ghats region, the festival is known as ‘Nariyal Purnima’. The word nariyal, which means coconut, means the coconut-shaped full moon in Maharashtra.
- The whole of central India mainly celebrates Rakhi’s joyous occasion as “Kajari Purnima”. Raksha Bandhan is celebrated under the name of Pavitrapana in the western parts of India. In the northern regions of India, mainly Jammu, it is quite common to fly kites on the nearby occasions of Janamashtami and Raksha Bandhan. In Odisha and West Bengal, this auspicious day is often also called ‘Jhulan Purnima.
How has Raksha Bandhan changed over the years?
Today, we live in a society that is on top of feminism and modernity. Therefore, with changing times, traditions have also changed. Back then, protection was a unilateral entity, but today it has become a broader and broader concept.
Today, the sisters pledge to protect their brothers also in general, and particularly on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, the brothers are now also pampered with gifts.
This not only shows how a woman’s roles have evolved over time but also how women’s empowerment has redefined relationships. Furthermore, in the current scenario, the way women want to be protected and want to feel safe has also changed.
They no longer want to be physically protected, but they want their siblings to maintain their sense of individuality and freedom and help them grow.
In this age of technology, festivals often tend to go digital as well. The same applies to the Rakhi festival. With people moving and settling in countries other than their family, it is not possible for everyone to gather to celebrate Raksha Bandhan.
It is very sad how the people who have celebrated this festival together since they were little children are now miles away dealing with their careers and their private lives.
When work and family are at stake, it becomes difficult to prioritize between one of these. But thanks to technology! Perhaps one of the advantages of living in a technologically advanced society is that everyone is just a click away.
Your brother or sister may be far from the oceans, but virtually tying up the rakhi and sending greetings and blessings from a screen is always possible now.
In short, technology has helped a lot in preserving family traditions and celebrations and has also allowed people to strike the right balance between the two most important parts of their lives: career and family.
Is Rakhi celebrated by other religions besides Hinduism?
Absolutely! Rakhi is a secular festival. It is common in today’s era to see people of different religions tying rakhis together. The Raksha Bandhan festival is also prevalent in the Jain culture. Jain priests give sacred threads to devotees. Even in the Sikh community, ‘Rakhadhi’ plays an important role.
In fact, in Nepal, where Raksha Bandhan is known as ‘Janai Purnima‘ or ‘Rishitarpani’, the ceremony of tying the holy thread or Rakhi is performed by both Hindus and Buddhists.
What makes Rakhi special?
One of the main aspects that distinguish Rakhi from the great number of other Hindu festivals is the fact that there are no limits when it comes to region or religion when celebrating this joyous occasion.
It brings together men and women who do not always have to be related by blood to feel familiar and promotes harmony, peace, love, and care between people.
Other than that, it is a day awaited by millions, a day to get to know the family after weeks or months and spend time with them. And the gift and receiving of gifts, of course, add to its charm!
Do Muslims and Christians also celebrate Rakhi?
So. Several members of the Muslim and Christian communities participate in the Rakhi celebration and see it as a festival that transcends different religions and cultures.
Every year, there are many Muslims and Christians who tie the Rakhis to others or tie them to other friends or sisters.
Is there a story of the God Ganesh related to Rakhi?
Yes, there is a story about Ganesh regarding Rakhi. Here is how it goes. The Hindu god Ganesh was the father of two children: Shubh and Labh. In Rakhi, these two young children were extremely frustrated and upset by the way that they did not have a sister who could tie the rakhis to their wrists.
So they asked their father for a sister, but he did not comply with their wishes. However, when Saint Narada appeared, he convinced Ganesh that having a daughter would only enrich his life and that of his sons.
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So Ganesh finally accepts and creates his own daughter by the sacred flames that arose from his wives Riddhi and Siddhi. The daughter was named Santoshi Ma.
Rakhi Purchase
Before the arrival of Raksha Bandhan, the sisters begin to buy rakhis for their brother from the market that is specially decorated for the occasion.
They are looking for special rakhi in the form of colored threads, silver rakhis, bracelets, charms, and other wrist accessories for men on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan. You can also see the colorful Rakhi gifts for your dear brother using the online market or market.
Perform Rakhi rituals
On Raksha Bandhan day, brothers and sisters wear new clothes and observe the festival in the presence of their parents, elders, and grandparents.
The ritual consists of lighting a ground lamp or Diya representing the fire deity and the execution of aarti by the sisters.
Religious actions to take while tying the rakhi
- To tie the rakhi, a short wooden stool is placed for the brother to sit on
- In the Indian tradition, a rangoli design is drawn around this wooden stool. Sattvik frequencies are emitted from rangoli designs made in this way and help to make the atmosphere of the place Sattvik. (The brother in new clothes and a cap on his head applies tika to his forehead and sits on the wooden stool. The sister stands in front of him with a puja plate in hand. Both brother and sister they close their eyes, as a reverence to the god). As both brother and sister pray to deities to protect each other.
- The sister applies vermilion tika on the forehead of the brother.
- The sister ties the rakhi on the brother’s right wrist.
- After tying the rakhi, a ghee Arti lamp is moved in a semicircle in front of the brother.
- After moving the Arti, the brother gives his sister something as a gift. The sister must respect the brother by accepting her gift.
Brother Rakhi Gift Offering
After the rakhi is tied to the wrist, it is now up to the brother to offer special rakhi return gifts to his sister. The gift can be in the form of money, a gift from an online or offline gift shop in the form of a special rakhi gift basket, a dress, a piece of jewelry, or any other gift.
For siblings who want to offer something unique and extraordinary to their sisters, you can see the impressive variety of Rakhi return gifts for their sisters at this place.
What should I give away at Raksha Bandhan?
Living away can no longer be an excuse in terms of gifts. With the emergence of online gift websites that give you a wide range of options to choose from. They also deliver the package to the door on the requested date and time.
Gifts of all kinds never fail to make us happy. But when you give someone that means a lot to you, why not let it be reflected in your present?
Maybe by giving something that describes the person, something that would make them smile every time they look at them or maybe something that they would use in their day to day. The options are endless.
Does distance matter in Raksha Bandhan?
A sacred thread of love and strong bond called Rakhi is tied on the brother’s wrist, on this day. If the brother-sister is geographically far away, located in different states, cities, or countries, this day is special to make the miles disappear.
Phones ring with a different jingle, the doorbell sets a different beat to the heartbeat, unexpected gifts, or even surprise visits, reaffirms brotherly and sisterly love on this day, regardless of age and distance.
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The married sisters continue to be pampered on this day by a special visit of their brothers to their homes to celebrate this eternal love.
A festival that has embraced the world in one link
However, the Raksha Bandhan celebration goes beyond simply linking the Rakhi to the brothers. Over the years, the meaning of this festival has evolved in the most pleasant way, where it is not only limited to brothers and sisters.
Anyone who feels a sense of responsibility towards their loved ones and close ones celebrates this day with the greatest dedication, regardless of caste, creed, or color.
Flavors of this festival
It is that day of the year when walking along a path on a typical Indian street will leave you with the aromas of incredible dishes that are cooked in every house.
Here are some recipes that are sure to add to the flavors of this already ambrosial festival. Khuwa, Burfi, Malpua, Kheer, vegetable pancakes, and banana chops are some of the dishes prepared to celebrate this occasion.
Constituents of the auspicious festival
The celebration begins with the sister’s application of tika (tilak) to her brother’s forehead, wishing him a long and healthy life. Tika means the value of self-esteem and the respect you feel for your dear brother.
This is followed by the application of Aksheyta on the tika that fosters a positive impact on your life. Arti performs in honor of her brother while offering prayers for his long life.
In Indian tradition, the essence of offering coconut lies in the well-being, happiness, and success in your brother’s life.
It is called Shriphal, the fruit of the Goddess Lakshmi. The Rakhi symbolizes the love of a sister for her brother and is tied in the wrist of the brother with the belief that her brother would protect her for life and that the sister’s love would seal her sweet bond forever.
Kalash is a sign of abundance and prosperity that a sister sincerely desires in every facet of her brother’s life.
The brothers share and enjoy the sweets to celebrate their union and add more sweetness to their relationship. After the worshipping, the brother feels blessed with his sister’s prayers and generously presents her with gifts.
The bond of protection unites people in a knot of eternal love and security. It is a day to come together to relive moments of joy and love and promote a feeling of unity and harmony.
Shubh Rakhi Muhurat for tying rakhi in India
Sisters can tie the thread around their brothers’ wrist between 9:28 a.m. and 9:17 p.m.
According to Hindu belief, the correct time to tie the thread would be Aparahna Rakhi Muhurat, which is between 01:48 p.m. and 04:29 p.m.
The holy thread can be tied during the Praodsh time which starts at approximately 7:10 pm and will end at 09:17 pm if the Aparahna Murat is passed.
Do not tie Rakhi during this Muhurat (Indian time):
Sisters should not tie rakhi during the Bhadra period, which generally falls in the first half of Purnima day.
- Bhadra Panchha – 5:16 AM to 6:28 AM
- Bhadra Mukha: 6:28 a.m. at 8:28 a.m.
- Bhadra ends at 9:28 a.m.
Shubh Rakhi Muhurat for tying Rakhi in Nepal
Sisters can tie the thread around their brothers’ wrist between 9:43 a.m. and 9:32 p.m.
According to Hindu belief, the correct time to tie the thread would be Aparahna Rakhi Muhurat, which is between 02:03 p.m. and 04:44 p.m.
In case the Aparahna Murta passed, the holy thread can be tied during the Praodsh time which starts at approximately 7:25 pm and will end at 09:32 pm.
Do not tie rakhi during this Muhurat (Nepal Time):
Sisters should not tie rakhi during the Bhadra period, which generally falls in the first half of Purnima day.
- Bhadra Panchha – 5:31 AM to 6:43 AM
- Bhadra Mukha: 6:43 a.m. at 8:43a.m.
- Bhadra ends at 9:43 a.m.
Why rakhi is tied at the right time (Subha Rakhi Muhurat)?
According to the Hindu festivals, all the auspicious rituals are carried out in fixed timing. Astrologer takes out the right time by studying the placing of the Nakshatra. Same, people tie rakhi in the auspicious time because it is believed that the activities are done in auspicious time bring luck and good vibes on the occasion.
Significance of Rakhi Muhurat Time
Rakhi Muhurat means the moment of performing the thread ceremony that consists of tying the Rakhi on your brother’s wrist. Time plays an important role according to the Hindu calendar.
A certain period of time is considered auspicious and a certain unfavorable. Therefore, according to Raksha Bandhan Subha Rakhi Muhurat is important, performing the Rakhi ceremony is important.
Aparahna (late afternoon) is considered to be the best time during Raksha Bandhan to perform the thread ceremony or the tying of Rakhi. If Aparahna time is not available, then Pradesh time is also suitable for performing rituals related to Raksha Bandhan.
You must ensure that you do not perform the Rakhi ceremony during the Bhadra period. Bhadra is considered an unfavorable time. During the first half of Purnima Tithi, Bhadra Tithi prevails.
Therefore, it is advisable to wait for Bhadra to finish before performing the auspicious Raksha Bandhan ceremony.
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