Interesting Facts about Raksha Bandhan
You already know that Raksha Bandhan is a hugely popular festival in India, celebrated with much love and enthusiasm between brothers and sisters. But do you know some interesting facts about this renowned festival? Well, if not, then keep reading below!
- Raksha Bandhan is celebrated in different corners of India and is known as Rakhi Poornima, Rakhi, or Rakhri.
- Raksha Bandhan is not only related to Hindus. This festival of siblinghood is celebrated even by Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, Muslims, and Christians.
- Rabindranath Tagore, a Nobel Prize winner, poet, and writer, used this festival to unite Hindus and Muslims in peace and harmony during the Partition of Bengal in 1905.
- Do you know the festival is not only limited to tying a rakhi to a brother's wrist? Hindus on this day also worship Lord Indra, the god of rain, and Varuna, the god associated with the sky, ocean, and water.
- Raksha Bandhan is not limited to India. The popular festival is also celebrated in the UAE, UK, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, New Zealand, and other countries. It is also celebrated in Nepal, where it's called Janai Purnima.
- Raksha Bandhan is a festival that celebrates the love between a brother and a sister. In this tradition, the sister ties a rakhi thread on her brother's wrist. However, in some states of India, such as Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, etc., the sisters also tie a rakhi to their sister-in-law, which is called a lumba rakhi.
- The religious journey of Amarnath starts on Guru Purnima and ends on the day of Raksha Bandhan.
- In Uttarakhand, the Raksha Bandhan festival is celebrated uniquely. On this day, before the rakhi tying ceremony, the men first have to change their Janeu, the sacred thread across their bodies.
