Raksha Bandhan is a festival honoring the bond between a brother and his sister. It celebrates the promise of safety made by a brother to his sister. This festival is celebrated on a full moon day or Purnima in the month of Sharavan as per the Hindu Panchang. This year, however, the festival will fall on August 19.
Raksha Bandhan on Monday, August 19, 2024
Purnima Tithi Starts: 03:04 AM on August 19, 2024
Purnima Tithi Ends: 11:55 PM on August 19, 2024
Rakhi Tie Eeremony time: 01:30 PM to 09:10 PM (Duration: 7 Hours 40 Minutes)
Aparahna Time Muhurat: 01:47 PM to 04:22 PM (Duration: 2 Hours 34 Minutes)
Pradosh Time Muhurat: 06:56 PM to 09:10 PM (Duration: 2 Hours 14 Minutes)
Bhadra End Time: 01:30 PM
Bhadra Punchha: 09:51 AM to 10:53 AM
Bhadra Mukha: 10:53 AM to 12:37 PM
On the day of this Hindu festival, sisters all around the country tie a sacred thread called Rakhi on their brother’s wrist. This decorative thread is a symbol of her unwavering faith in her brother and his promise to protect her against all evil. He pledges to keep her happy, making her smile against all odds. Sisters also pray for the long life of their brothers on this auspicious day. Gifts are an important element of this day as the brothers showcase their love by showering their sisters with gifts and blessings.
This day is full of grand celebrations as sisters gear up to show their love to their brothers while brothers pamper them on this special day. Here are the puja vidhi steps for this auspicious day:
Take a ritualistic bath on the day of Savan Purnima before the sun rises.
Perform a dev as well as a pitra tarpan to appease both the Gods and the ancestors.
The puja of Rakhi should always be done during the Aparahna. Raksha Bandhan dates and time are extremely important, and therefore one must try to stick to the auspicious muhurat.
Offer the rakhi to Lord Ganesha and the other deities. Even girls who do not have brothers can celebrate this festival by tying a rakhi to the Gods.
Apply tilak to your brother.
Tie the sacred rakhi on the wrist of your brother’s right hand.
Give him a coconut as a gift.
Perform aarti of your brother on this auspicious occasion.
Offer him sweets of his liking.
The brothers shower their sisters with gifts following the puja.
Girls can also tie a rakhi to their sister-in-law, father, nephews, and nieces.
Astrologically, this festival is celebrated on Sharavana Purnima that marks the end of the month of Shravana. From the religious standpoint, the threads of rakhi are not merely decorative; they are rather the Raksha sutra that is meant to ward off all evil and offer protection to its bearer. Astrologically, it is said that the celestial bodies of Mars, Jupiter, Moon, and Sun are connected to the nine sacred threads of rakhi. Each of these planets represents the younger sibling, the older sibling, mother, and father, respectively. The planet of Mars gets strengthened when sisters tie rakhi on their brother’s wrist. Hence, the significance of this festival runs very deep as per astrology.
This festival stands for the unparalleled love and care that a brother’s heart harbors for his sister. However, looking at the larger picture, this festival symbolizes the spirit of brotherhood that is intrinsic to our nation. Hence, this festival not only has religious significance, but it also holds a deep meaning from the socio-spiritual point of view.
Furthermore, historically, this day is important because when Alexander the Great was defeated in battle by the Hindu king, Purushottam, Alexander’s wife tied a rakhi on the hand of King Purushottam. She did this to ensure the safety and well-being of her husband, protecting him from getting killed in the war. A similar story is popular regarding queen Karnavati of Chittor, who sent a rakhi to the Mughal emperor Humayun. She sent the sacred thread to the emperor to seek his protection from Bahadur Shah, a ruthless invader who wanted to invade her kingdom. Humayun was touched by her request and rushed to help protect her.
The celebrations surrounding this day are full of excitement and joy. The entire country awaits this day to honor the exceptional bond between a brother and his sister. Mentioned below are some of the prominent rituals associated with this day-
Rakhi strings are in themselves at the center of this festival. Girls buy beautiful rakhis for their brother days in advance. Some even make rakhis themselves to show their love for their brother.
Puja thali decorations are another exciting part of the festival. Girls intricately decorate the puja thali, keeping kumkum, roli, akshat, sweets and diyas in their thali. Incense sticks and coconut are also placed inside the thali. Some girls also gift a handkerchief to their brothers on this occasion to cover their heads during aarti.
Sisters observe a fast on this day to pray for the healthy and long life of their brothers. The fast is broken when the brother feeds sweets to his sister after she ties the rakhi on his wrist.
Gifts are symbolic tokens of the brother’s love for his sister. The gift-giving ceremony is often filled with laughter as brothers tease their sisters over gifts, making this a day filled with merriment.
According to the Bhavishya Purana, the king of the devtas, Indra wore a sacred thread of Rakhi to protect himself against the asuras or the demons when he fought against the demon, Vritra Asura. He did so according to the suggestions of his mentor, Dev Guru Brihaspati. Indra’s consort, Devi Sachi hence tied a Rakhi on the wrist of Indra to protect him.
Another legend states that the auspicious strings of Rakhi were meant to be dedicated to the sea God, Varuna. It is for this reason that on the occasion of the Raksha Bandhan festival, offerings of coconut are made to Varuna Dev while devotees flock to the sea for ceremonial baths. Fairs are organized on the water banks on this day of Nariyal Purnima, giving everyone yet another reason to celebrate.
The festival of Rakhi stands for a lot of positive qualities and reminds us to nurture love and respect in our relationships. It is a festival that exhibits purity in thoughts and actions and urges us to hold our actions in correspondence to our words.
To know more about the auspicious time of this festival and its celebrations, connect with Astroyogi astrologers today!
| Date | Tuesday, 22 October 2024 |
| Tithi | Krishna Shashthi |
| Day | Tuesday |
| Paksha | Krishna-Paksha |
| Sunrise | 6:26:53 |
| Sunset | 17:44:42 |
| Moonrise | 21:52:6 |
| Nakshatra | Ardra |
| Nakshtra Till | 29 : 40 : 26 |
| Yog | Shiv |
| Yog Till | 30 : 59 : 47 |
| Karan I | Vanija |
| Surya Rashi | Libra |
| Chandra Rashi | Gemini |
| Rahu Kal | 14:55:15 to 16:19:58 |
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