May it be an event or a festival, there is always an aftereffect. Today morning Mom got a phone call. Her friend had called her. She said, “Our new neighbours belong to another religion. The young boy from the family compelled my daughter to tie a rakhi on his wrist. This morning they had broken the rakhi into 2 pieces and thrown it in front of our home. What can be done now? My mother-in-law had told me that rakhi should not be thrown just anywhere. This year I am alone and need your advice.”
This issue is not confined to one home. It happens everywhere. It need not be people from another religion. Hindus themselves do it. If you observe carefully, you will find broken rakhis on the roads. Actually, boys find it uncomfortable to keep the rakhis on their wrists even for 1 hour, forget 1 day. When they go to play, they even break it then and there and throw it in such a place where it comes under the feet. This is not good.
The following solution is suggested: When you want to remove the rakhi, if you can’t remove it on your own, ask someone other than the person who has tied it on your wrist to remove it. It could be your parents or friends or brothers. And it can be consigned to running water. Never throw it in the trashcan.
During olden days, this used to be done and we recommend it too. Water would be taken in a copper vessel. Milk, curd and Ganga Jal were added to it. The vessel was placed in the prayer area. After praying to God that the rakhi should be present invisibly even after you remove it and wishing the welfare of the person who had tied the rakhi, it should be removed and dropped into the vessel. While going out, the water from the vessel with the rakhi should be poured on the roots of either pipal or banyan tree. If there is a well nearby, the water can be poured into it. But we would recommend that you take the permission of the owner. It can also be poured into a river or the sea.
Once it is poured in the recommended place, take a couple of minutes to pray for the welfare of the person who had tied the rakhi and yourself. Also, pray that the festival can be celebrated with more pomp next year.