Raksha Bandhan - 2016

 Raksha Bandhan - 2016

This year Raksha Bandhan will be celebrated on Thursday, 18th August, 2016.

According to Delhi timings:

Raksha Bandhan Thread Ceremony Time = 05:55 to 14:56

 Total Duration =9 Hours 0 Mins

Aparahan Time Raksha Bandhan Muhurat = 13:42 to 14:56

Duration = 1 Hour 14 Mins

Raksha Bandhan Bhadra got over before Sunrise

Purnima Tithi Begins = 16:27 on 17/Aug/2016
Purnima Tithi Ends = 14:56 on 18/Aug/2016

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Note - 24-hour clock with local time of Delhi & DST adjusted for all Muhurat timings (if applicable)
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* The festival of Raksha Bandhan is celebrated on Purnima(full moon) of Shraavan Maas (Shravani Poornima).

* Shraavan is the most holy month in the Hindu year. 

* The full moon of Shravan or Shravan Purnima is the day of Raksha Bandhan, also known as Balev. 

* Hindus all over the world celebrate this festival with great joy. 

 * The word “Raksha-bandhan” is made out of two words Raksha + Bandhan.

* Raksha means protection. Bandhan means to be tied, to be bound.  

* This festival is a symbol of unbreakable bond between brother and sister. 

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  Shubh Muhurat for Rakhi 


 According to ancient scriptures, Raksha bandhan should not be celebrated in the bhadra period of both shravani and phalguni. Tying rakhi on the brother’s wrist is prohibited during this period and considered to be inauspicious.

 As per the ancient scriptures, the auspicious and inauspicious period of any festival or ceremony is calculated on the basis of Chau ghadi. It is advised to prohibit doing any auspicious work during bhadra kaal. Keeping in consideration the ancient beliefs, bhadra period is not considered to be auspicious, because when Bhadra resides in any muhurat is destroys the auspiciousness of it. The festival of Raksha Bandhan is considered favorable if celebrated in time devoid of Bhadra. The festival of Raksha bandhan must be celebrated only when Bhadra period lies on the previous day and the date of Poornima shows more than three muhurat on the second day of Raksha bandhan.

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 Significance and Purpose of Raksha Bandhan

The brother pledges to protect the sister in every birth. To symbolise this he allows her to tie a string on his wrist. The sister complies so that he keeps his promise. Since the historical ages this custom is prevalent to keep a brother and sister in a relationship. The rakhi is a symbol of the purity of a relationship between a sister and brother.

Just as the brother is bound by a promise to protect the sister after getting a string tied onto his wrist, so also the sister prays to God for his protection.  

On this day with ashirvad of Lord Ganesh and deity Saraswati both the siblings get benifitted.

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Legends:-

1. Story of King Bali and Goddess Laxmi:-


Bali Raja, the demon king, greatly pleased Vaman Bhagwan by offering his head to step on. Vaman Bhagwan then gave him a boon that Bhagwan Narayan will stay at his doorstep all through the year. 

However, when Shri Narayan failed to return to Vaikunth, Lakshmiji arrived at Bali’s doorstep. She then adopted Bali as her brother, by tying a raksha on his wrist. This pleased Bali, who allowed her to ask for a boon. She requested that he allow Shri Narayan to return to Vaikunth. Bali agreed. It was then decided that after Narayan’s stay of four months during Chaturmas, Shivji and Brahmaji would stay at Bali’s doorstep, each for fourmonths. 

 From this episode about Bali Raja, this day is also known as Baleva. Thus, Bali Raja’s great gift to Bhagwan is glorified in the shastras. So, in all puja rituals, pandits chant a shlok which praises Bali Raja while tying a nada chhadi (sacred thread): 

Yena baddho Baliraja, danavendro mahabala, 
Tena tvamabhi badhnami rakshe ma chala ma chala.


 येन बद्धो बलि राजा, दानवेन्द्रो महाबल:

       तेन त्वामाभिबध्नामि, रक्षे मा चल मा चल

Meaning:--
 
I tie on you (the devotee) the raksha which was tied on Bali. Therefore O Raksha! Do not ever fail to protect this bhakta. Do not ever fail.
 
{ - Bhavishyottar Puran}


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2. Story of  Krishna and Draupadi:-

 Once Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas torn a strip of silk off her sari and tied it around Krishna's wrist to stanch the bleeding from a battlefield wound. Krishna was touched by her action and declared her to be his sister, even though they were unrelated. He promised to repay the debt and then spent the next 25 years doing just that. Draupadi, in spite of being married to five great warriors and being a daughter of a powerful monarch, trusted and depended wholly on Krishna.

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3. Story of Yama and the Yamuna:-


According to another legend, Raksha Bandhan was a ritual followed by Lord Yama (the Lord of Death) and his sister Yamuna, (the river in northern India). Yamuna tied rakhi to Yama and bestowed immortality. Yama was so moved by the serenity of the occasion that he declared that whoever gets a rakhi tied from his sister and promised her protection, will become immortal.

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4. Story of Rani Karnavati:- 

The Rajput queens practised the custom of sending rakhi threads to neighbouring rulers as token of brotherhood.  

 When Chittor was ruled by the Rajputs, the kingdom of Chittor had a widowed queen, Rani Karnawati. When Bahadur Shah of Mewar decided to attack Chittor, Rani Karnawati sent a Rakhi to Humayun, the Mughal emperor, asking for his help. Humayun was touched by this gesture as he was aware of the significance of Rakhi in the Hindu community. Humayun reached Chittor with his army to protect Karnawati. But unfortunately, by the time he reached Chittor, all the Rajput women had already killed themselves by committing 'Jauhar' (a ritual of self-immolation ) on March 8, 1535 to save their honour. Bahadur Shah had to, however, flee from Chittor when Mughal military reinforcements arrived.


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5. Story of Raja Indra Dev:-


 Once Raja Indra Dev was almost on the verge of losing a long drawn battle against the demons. Indra, dejected and despondent, sought Guru Brihashpati's advice. Indra's wife Shachi also came forward to help her husband. She prepared a talisman and tied it around Indra's wrist. It helped Indra ward of the attack of the demons and emerge triumphant.


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 Practical Rituals of Raksha Bandhan:


 
On this day a sister will tie a raksha (rakhi ) on the right wrist of her brother(s). Before that, she will perform the following rituals of pujan, to show her love for her dear brother:

1. Light a diya for arti.

2. Offer a seat to your brother.
 
3. Apply a tilak of kumkum /kesar/chandan/turmeric on his forehead, followed by AKSHAT ( Unbroken rice grains).
 
4. Place a flower garland around his neck.
 
5. Tie the rakhi on his right wrist.
 
6. Reading the following mantra:---

Om Yena baddho Baliraja, danavendro mahabala, 

Tena tvamabhi badhnami rakshe ma chala ma chala. 

ऊँ येन बद्धो बलि राजा, दानवेन्द्रो महाबल:

        तेन त्वामाभिबध्नामि, रक्षे मा चल मा चल

Meaning:-- 
 
“I am tying on your hand this Raksha, with which the most powerful and generous King Bali himself was bound; O Raksha, don’t go away; don’t go away.”  

{The power of this Mantra protects the wearer from evil influences.}

7. Place a whole sweet, usually peda, in his mouth.

8. Do arti of  your brother.
 
9. In return, the brother then presents a gift to her as assurance for her protection.


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