Rakhi

2011.08.13

Gayathri tying Raki to Chenna

Treasured memories are an incredible gift that can never be taken away.

If I could pick the best brother, I would pick you!
- Catherine Pulsifer

Rakhi

A sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit, a golden thread to the meaning of life. ~Isadora James

Gayathri's peacock

Sisters annoy, interfere, criticize. Indulge in monumental sulks, in huffs, in snide remarks. Borrow. Break. Monopolize the bathroom. Are always underfoot. But if catastrophe should strike, sisters are there. Defending you against all comers. ~Pam Brown

As youngsters they may seem like arch enemies at times, but as they grow older the ties that bind become as strong as the love between them.

The chaste bond of love between a brother and a sister is one of the deepest and noblest of human emotions. 'Raksha Bandhan' or 'Rakhi' is a special occasion to celebrate this emotional bonding by tying a holy thread around the wrist. This thread, which pulsates with sisterly love and sublime sentiments, is rightly called the ‘Rakhi’. It means 'a bond of protection', and Raksha Bandhan signifies that the strong must protect the weak from all that’s evil.

The ritual is observed on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Shravan, on which sisters tie the sacred Rakhi string on their brothers' right wrists, and pray for their long life. Rakhis are ideally made of silk with gold and silver threads, beautifully crafted embroidered sequins, and studded with semi precious stones.