Today's full moon or shravan is the day of Raksha Bandhan, an annual occurence in the Hindu calendar (usually falling in the month of August). It is marked by a ceremony in which a sister ties a rakhi — which may be a colorful thread or a simple bracelet — around the wrist of her brother. The word "raksha" signifies protection and "bandhan" is an association signifying an enduring bond; and so, when a rakhi around the wrist of one's brother it signifies his sister's love for him. He, likewise, recognizes the special bond between them - and by extending his wrist forward, he in fact extends the hand of his protection over her as well.
Raksha Bandhan not only strengthens the bond of love between brothers and sisters, but goes beyond the confines of the family. When a rakhi is tied on the wrists of close friends and neighbors, it underscores the need for a harmonious social life where individuals co-exist peacefully as brothers and sisters. All members of the community commit to protect each other and society as a whole - an ancient theory popularized by the Nobel laureate, Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore.
This ritual itself is a Hindu one - however throughout the ages it has come to transcend religion like few things can. It is said that Alexander's life was spared in battle only because his wife had tied a rakhi on the hand of the great Hindu King Puru. That kind of bond continues with Desis around the world to this day, in fact my own rakhis are sent by my 'sisters' (Muslims, Hindus & Christans) - all of them very close to my heart. Only one of them is actually related to me but who says you need matching DNA to be considered family?
The musical selection for today is from the 1971 Bollywood movie 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna' - a glorious mess of a movie whose soundtrack produced 3 legendary songs (and will be the subject of a future post). My favorite one of the bunch, one of the sweetest love songs from a brother to a sister ever written, Phoolon Ka Taro Ka, sung by the master, Kishore Kumar with music rendered by R.D. Burman.
