Raksha Bandhan

Today is Raksha Bandhan. Previously, on this day, people tied raksha sutra to each other for their well-being. When Lord Indra was defeated by the demons and returned to His abode, Indrani tied a raksha sutra on His hand as He decided to return to the battlefield. Post this, He won the battle.

Ages ago, on Shravan Poornima, Lord Krishna was hurt on His wrist and Draupadi tore the edge of her sari to tie it on His wrist. He felt better and decided that He would help her as a brother. When Dushasana tried to disrobe her, Lord Krishna helped her, thus returning the favor.

We are South Indians and do not tie rakhis. But, during Naga Chaturthi-Panchami, we pray to Lord Shiva decorated with snakes, for the wellbeing of our siblings and children. However, we have been born and brought up in North India. So, we send out greetings on this festival.

Varalakshmi was celebrated on last Friday. The next day was dedicated to Lord Satyanarayana. Today is Raksha Bandhan. Mom and I placed a rakhi in front of the idol of Lord Ganapathy. We prayed for the martyrs and sent the rakhi to them. We also appealed to them that they could be reborn as brave soldiers, but with long life.

Then, we prayed for our brothers and sisters in the armed forces. Particularly, their service in flood-affected Kerala is appreciable. One soldier even let women walk over his back into a boat lying in the water for their benefit. This incident brought tears to our eyes. It is said that a human being’s lifespan is 120 years. We wish that these soldiers have 120 times 120 years of life.

To be continued…