In India, Rakhi or Raksha Bandhan celebrations are about strengthening the bond of love between brothers and sisters and fostering brotherhood. This festival is not a ritual, custom and tradition that can change over time but its style of celebration has become contemporary. Since ages, Raksha Bandhan is being celebrated in the same way. All the traditions are followed with the same enthusiasm. The gaieties have only blown up to a larger scale. Rakhi festival is the celebration of the chaste bond of love amongst the siblings.It is celebrated on Purnima or full moon day in the month of Shravan (popularly known as Saawan) is a day when brothers and sisters reaffirm their pious bonds of affection. It is usually a festival of the Hindus though today people from different religions participate as well.
Around mid-August, on Shravan Purnima, Hindus all over celebrate Raksha Bandhan. “Raksha” means protection, “Bandhan” means bound making the Rakhi the “Bond of Protection”. Raksha Bandhan is celebrated in different forms in different areas and it is also known by the names like rakhi, rakhri, saluna and baleva.
Everyone start preparing for this festival much in advance. About a month before the commencement of raksha bandhan, you can see fancy and colorful rakhis in every market. Ladies start shopping for rakhi and rakhi gifts quite early. They shop for new clothes and beautiful rakhi gifts specially the one that have to be sent to their brothers staying far. Almost every shop, be it sweet shops, garment shops, gift shops, or any other shop, all are flooded with attractive rakhi gifts to attract people.
On the day of Rakhi festival, the festivity of this auspicious day begin by the day break. After taking bath early morning, people get ready by wearing new clothes and gather for worshiping. After invoking the blessings of the Gods, the sister performs brother’s arti, puts tika and chawal on his forehead and ties Rakhi amongst chanting of mantras. 
Sisters whole heartedly give sweets to their brothers to eat which in turns add more sweetness in the Raksha Bandhan celebration and pray for their well-being. In return, brothers pamper their sisters and present beautiful gifts to lure them. They also promise to take care of her and stand by her side in any circumstances.
After performing all these rituals, the whole family reunion to enjoy and have fun. Then all of them share the delicious food, tasty sweets, gifts, music and dance. It is a day to remember all the memorable time spent together for those who, for any reason, are far away from their family. Emotions can also be expressed through e-mails, e-cards, rakhi greeting cards and rakhi through Internet. The overflowing emotions of siblings cannot be stopped on this day.
The practice of tying thread was prevalent among the Rajputs and our history is full of instances related to the significance of this tradition. At the time of war when the brave Rajput soldiers prepared to go to the battlefield, the women folk followed the ritual of tying a thread around their wrist after applying a dash of vermilion powder on their forehead. This was considered a sign of good omen and the ladies believed that it would protect their men from the enemy’s blow and bring them victory. Today children and women all around the country filling the soldiers with the zest to protect them against the dangers of the enemy tie Rakhi on the wrists of soldiers.
Raksha Bandhan if taken in true sense has a much broader perspective; the festival encompasses true sense of peace and brotherhood. The values propagated by the occasion if inculcated by all human beings can bring the much-needed relief from the ongoing violence and mistrust.
The rich Indian mythology provides a religious reason to celebrate the day in a specific way. Many epics are related to the day and the origin of Raksha Bandhan. The festival finds a mention in most of the epics and its origin can be traced back to the mythological Pouranik times.
Raksha Bandhan holds immense significance for brothers and sisters in India and so does Rakhi Gifts. Every year siblings scratch their heads for that bright and brilliant Rakhi Gift Idea. To make that tedious process a bit easy we are presenting some innovative Rakhi Gift Ideas for brothers and amazingly delightful gift ideas for sisters. Some practical tips on Rakhi Gift selection has also been included in the text to help you choose the most perfect and memorable Rakhi Gift for your sibling.
Tips for selecting Rakhi Gift:
1. Keep in mind the choice of your siblings. For example consider his / her hobbies and areas of interest.
2. Think if there is anything your sibling has been planning to buy for a long time but has not managed to purchase it on his / her own. If yes, then surprise by making his / her wish come true sooner than expected.
3. Ensure the gift is of good quality and trendy at the same time. This aspect holds a lot more importance in Raksha Bandhan as siblings attach a lot of emotions to Rakhi Gifts. For them Rakhi Gift is not just any other gift but a reflection of their sibling’s feelings for them.
4. Don’t go over and above your budget. Remember your feelings behind the gift are more important than the digits written on the gift tag. So restrict to your budget.
Rakhi Gift Ideas for Brothers
1. For Trendy Brothers:
For brothers who love to sport a style statement some trendy gifts are desirable. One can go in for fancy goggles, mobile cases, deodorants, perfumes, watches and belts. A bracelet style Silver or Gold Rakhi will also be appreciated by them.
2. For Elder and Sober Brothers:
For big brothers an executive Shirt will be good Rakhi gift idea. You can select the shirt – plain, stripes or checks according to the taste of brother. Colour of the shirt too must be decided on the basis of your brother’s choice not yours. Organisors, portfolio bags, designer pens, ties and cuff links are other ideas you can try.
3. For Studious Brothers
For bhaiyyas who are studying in school and college you can gift things that will be of benefit to them. How about a good reference book, some nice novels, trendy satchels or interesting CDs.
4. For Married Brothers
if your brother is married you can go in for household gifts like nice paintings, some crockery items or traditional Raksha Bandhan Gifts like box of sweets, dry fruits or chocolates.
5. For Kid Brothers
pamper your kid brother with some games or games CDs. Or how about toys like cars or those are representing their favourite cartoon characters. Chocolates, candies and other confectionery items will be relished by them.
Rakhi Gift Ideas for Sisters
1. For Sisters who are fond of Jewelry
Gift some nice jewelry items like rings, earrings or necklaces. You can go in for gold or diamonds if your budget suits otherwise artificial jewelry is a craze all over the world. Browse through some Rakhi Gifts sites and you will get ample of options.
2. For Fashion Conscious Sisters
Beaded and mirrored bags is an exciting and wonderful gift idea for sisters who are fashion conscious. Alternatively one can go in for nice perfumes, fancy tops or ethnic jewelry boxes.
3. For Kid Sisters
little girls love to receive cute and huggable teddy bears, chocolates or some nice stationery items. You may also gift some novels or other reference books if she is fond of reading.
4. For Married Sisters
if your sister is married you can gift some household gifts like paintings or some fancy show piece. Perfume or jewelry items are other choices from which you can decide your Rakhi gift.
Rabindra Nath Tagore started gathering of people like ‘Rakhi Mahotsavas’ in Shantiniketan to propogate the feeling of brotherhood among people. He believed that this will invoke trust and feeling of peaceful coexistence. Raksha Bandhan, for them, is a way to harmonize the relationship of humanity. The tradition continues as people started tying rakhis to the neighbor and friends. Raksha Bandhan reflects the message of “VASUDHAIVA KUTUMBKAM” – The Whole world is one Family.
By Shamim Noorani.
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