Raksha Bandhan Essay

500+ Words Essay on Raksha Bandhan

Raksha Bandhan is a famous festival traditionally celebrated by Hindus in India. It is also called the festival of Rakhi. “Raksha” means protection, and “Bandhan” means bond. Thus, Raksha Bandhan means the “Bond of Protection”. It celebrates the bond of love and affection between a brother and a sister. Here, we have provided a sample essay on Raksha Bandhan, which will help students practise essay writing on more such topics. This Raksha Bandhan Essay in English will give ideas to students on how to organise their thoughts effectively to form a good essay.

Raksha Bandhan Essay

The festival of Raksha Bandhan is celebrated on the full-moon day of the Shravan month in the Hindu calendar. In the modern calendar, it mostly falls in the month of August. In India, every festival has its own historical and cultural significance. The significance of the Raksha Bandhan festival is primarily to strengthen the brother-sister bond. The festival is marked by the sister tying a rakhi on her brother’s wrist.

Stories Behind Celebrating Raksha Bandhan Festival

This festival has been celebrated for centuries, and it is also mentioned in Hindu mythology as follows:

Goddess Lakshmi and King Bali

In Bhagavata Purana and Vishnu Purana, it is mentioned that when Lord Vishnu conquered the three worlds from King Bali, King Bali asked Lord Vishnu to live in his palace. Goddess Lakshmi, the wife of Lord Vishnu, was unhappy and wanted him to return to his place, Vaikunth. So, she tied the rakhi on King Bali, making him her brother. Honoured by the gesture, King Bali granted her a wish. It was then that goddess Lakshmi requested him to free lord Vishnu and let him return to Vaikunth.

Draupadi and Krishna

As described in the Mahabharata, Lord Krishna accidentally cut his finger. Draupadi then tore a piece of cloth from her saree and tied it to Krishna’s finger to stop the bleeding. Deeply touched by her gesture, Krishna promised to protect her from all evils throughout his life. Later, when the Kauravas were trying to dishonour Draupadi in the court by attempting to disrobe her, Lord Krishna saved her by making her sari endless in length.

Celebration of Raksha Bandhan

On this auspicious day, the brother and sister wake up early and get ready wearing new clothes. Then they sit together. The sister applies tilak on the brother’s forehead, lights up a Diya and puts it on the Kalash. She then ties a thread or Rakhi around his wrist and gives him sweets to eat. Before tying Rakhi, sisters traditionally fast. The Rakhi represents her unconditional faith in him and prayer for his happy and healthy life. In return, the brother gives gifts to her as a token of appreciation of love and promises to protect her from all evils and troubles.

The festival has become a favourite among siblings where the whole family comes together to enjoy this special moment. Tasty food, sweets etc., are cooked on this special day. With changing times, it is not just the brothers and sisters who tie Rakhi but also friends, and distant relatives who have started this tradition. Sisters who don’t have brothers have also started celebrating the festival by tying Rakhi on each other’s wrists and promising everlasting love and safety.

The Raksha Bandhan festival truly celebrates a pure, caring and affectionate relationship that exists between siblings. It symbolizes the ideal of universal brotherhood.

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