Make this Raksha Bandhan a posh affair

Few days in hands and there’s so much to plan. Your mind is swarmed with apprehensions because you have exhausted pretty much all your creative insights in all these years. But, this year too, you have to come up with something special without letting your sibling find out that it matters. Those feelings on excitement, anxiousness and nervousness sum up that Raksha Bandhan is around the corner.

Raksha Bandhan, as celebrated by people, is a festival that honours the adorable relationship between brothers and sisters. Ancient folklore entails that during the Mahabharata, Draupadi had torn a piece of her clothing and tied it around Lord Krishna’s injured hand to stop the bleeding. Reacting to the gesture, the Lord promised to protect her in her times of distress. That inspired the festival of Raksha Bandhan that people went on celebrating Shravan Purnima (full moon) around the month of August, every year.

Unlike several festivals, Raksha Bhandhan is celebrated beyond the boundaries of religion, language and culture. Apart from Hindus, this festival is also celebrated by Jains, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs and Christians. In different geographical regions, it is also known by different names like Rakhi Purnima, Saluno, Ujjwal Silono, Rakri, Narali Purnima, Janai Purnima, etc.

Like every Indian festival, Raksha Bandhan celebration begins with prayers to the Gods and for that, the first thing on the list is a properly decorated and sourced Puja Thali.

The Puja Thali

A bond as wondrous as that of brothers and sisters has to have a doting celebration and that begins with a beautifully decorated Puja Thali.

People generally opt for plate made from gold, silver, bronze, brass, silver, copper or steel. The decoration of the Puja Thali begins with spreading over the plate, a piece of bright coloured cloth, usually, yellow or red. Then, raw and unbroken rice grains, turmeric powder, betel-nut, kesar, kumkum, diya, mauli dhaga (sacred thread), each holding divine significance, are arranged on the plate along with sweets and rakhis.

The Ritual that symbolizes affections of brothers and sisters

Not all brothers and sisters are champions when it comes to expressing their affections towards each other. For some, it’s their never-ending, silly fights that make their bonds special. But no matter how complex the bond between brothers and sisters is, the Raksha Bandhan ritual makes it all look doting.

A sister tying rakhi on the wrist of her brother symbolizes her prayers for his protection and well-being and in return, his promise of loving and protecting her for life.

Coming back to ideas to make this rakhi special, what are your thoughts about replacing delicate hand-crafted rakhis with some imperishable options, like rakhis made of gold or silver?

Rakhi- an amulet that seals the promise of love and protection

Be it a simple mauli (thread) or a beautifully designed, stone-studded piece of work, rakhi of any type or design is of immense significance to every brother and sister because it serves as a reassurance that they are always by your side even if they are physically in some far across lands.

When a bond that special calls for a celebration, why not seal it with more love with a rakhi more durable, more special! This Raksha Bandhan, why not broaden the horizon and glance at premium rachis made from gold, silver and american diamonds, etc.

There’s something for everyone. If your rakhi has to have an aesthetic significance, there are:

Rakhi for the sister

Though rakhi has long been a celebration of the brother-sister relationship, with time, it has become a sister-sister relationship for those who don’t have brothers. In that case, sisters tie rakhis on each other’s wrists and pamper each other with presents. To ensure, that continues to happen, jewellery rakhis specially designed for women, are also available in jewellery stores.

And of course there is lumba rakhi. When a sister ties rakhi on her married brother’s wrist, she also ties a lumba rakhi on her sister-in-law’s wrist. That signifies love and cordial bond between the women.

But it’s just a Rakhi. Why go so posh?

– Well, it’s a rakhi but embellished with several delicate emotions of brothers and sisters that might never be expressed throughout the rest of the year.

– Considering the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, where everything seems to be temporary, a rakhi of this kind would seem more permanent, reassuring your siblings are with you, though not physically. Comforting much.

– Anything of gold and silver is always economically valuable. They could be replaced, remade and used rationally, in times of crisis. So, when you give them a rakhi made from gold or silver, along with love and strength, you also would give them a choice that they could use as per their necessities.