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Rakshabandhan Celebrations is a popular national celebration. Now the people of all religions, castes or creed participate in this festival with a lot of fanfare and enthusiasm. The festival imbibes the feeling and bond of friendship and fraternity amongst all of us. During this festival, Rakhis are tied on brothers and sisters arm thereby imbibing the bonds of peace, friendship and fraternity among all of us. Sweets are also distributed among all brothers and sisters.
The history of the beginning of 'Raksha Bandhan' can be traced to the medieval period. From the historical records we find that Rajputs were counteracting the Muslims invasion. During that period tying of Rakhis on sisters arms reflects symbol of peace and friendship on sisters' life. From other historical records we find, Queen Karnawati, the widow of the King of Chittor, to counteract the inroads of the Sultan of Gujarat, Bahadur Shah. sent a Rakhi to Emperor Humayun. On receiving the Rakhi, the Emperor was touched by the act of the Queen. He accepted the Rakhi as a token of sisterly gesture and accepted her as his sister. The Emperor went ahead for Queen's protection and security and fought from her end.
There is another interesting historical episode connected with Raksha Bandhan. It was way back in the year 1905 on October 16, Lord Curzon announced the infamous Partition of Bengal. This created wide range fury and anguish among Hindu brethren. The Bengalis of the then East Bengal were given the indication to evict their motherland with bags and baggage. The Muslim community was in a desperate bid to drive the Hindus from East Bengal. Poet Rabindra Nath Tagore, in order to symbolize the spirit of national integration, tied rakhis on the arms of Muslims brothers and sisters. The aim was to foster a friendly spirit among Hindu and the Muslim families to maintain communal peace and amity.
Raksha Bandhan festival is celebrated every year in different parts of the country in different ways. In the northern part of the country, it is celebrated as 'Rakhi Purnima'. The term "Purnima" means full moon night. In the Western parts of the country, say for example in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa and Karnataka, the day is celebrated as Nariyal Purnima. A coconut offering is made in the sea, as a sign of respect to Lord Varuna, the God of the Sea. It marks the beginning of the fishing season. In the Southern parts, the day is celebrated as Avani Avittam or Upakarman by the Brahmin communities. The day marks the beginning of Vedic studies. As per the Upakarman norms, the people of these states change their sacred thread (which is referred to as Yajnopavitam in Sanskrit meaning thread). In the central parts of the country, such as Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar, the day is celebrated as 'Kajari Purnima'. In parts of Gujarat, the day is observed as 'Pavitropana'. On this day, people perform the grand Puja or worship Lord Shiva.
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