Raksha Bandhan is on August 7 in 2017. But did you know who tied rakhi to Lord Krishna?

 

One festival that every sister looks forward to in India is Raksha Bandhan. After all, the festival not only celebrates the bond between a brother and a sister, it also includes gifts. And who doesn't like gifts, are we right? Starting from chocolates to jewellery, sisters get a lot of attention this particular day! Leaving the perks aside, even the meaning of this festival is beautiful. After all, it is celebrated as a symbol of love and a brother's eternal vow to protect his sister from all harm. And this year Raksha Bandhan will be celebrated on August 7.

But did you know there's more to this festival than just celebration of sibling love? In fact, the Indian festival has a lot of history behind it. Not only Hindu mythology, but our purans too talk about the ceremony. In fact, some of the tales also involve Hindu gods and goddesses. Interesting right?

So, before you head out to buy beautiful rakhis for your brother, here's all you need to know about why Raksha Bandhan is celebrated.

The Story Of Lord Indra Proves That Raksha Bandhan Wasn't Always A Symbol Of Sibling Love

According to Bhavishya Purana, Lord Indra was losing to King Bali during a war between gods and demons. In order to make sure Indra is unharmed in the war, his wife Indrani prayed to Lord Vishnu, who gave her a holy thread to be tied around her husband's wrist.

Blessed with its powers of success and well being, Indra won the war and the thread became his protection against any evil.

Mahabharatha Had Rakhi Too. Draupadi Tied It To Lord Krishna

You probably know about the great battle of Mahabharata. And why wouldn't you? Our holy book Gita after all originated from this epic. But, did you know that Mahabharata also witnessed Raksha Bandhan? That's right.

According to various legends, it is said that Lord Krishna had hurt his index finger while hurling the Sudharshan Chakra at Shishupala. But, Draupadi tore her sari and tied it around his wounded finger to prevent it from bleeding. Krishna, who was touched by Draupadi's unconditional love, took the responsibility of her protection upon himself. Some say, this is the reason why Lord Krishna saved her during vastraharan.

Rakhi Finds It Place Even In SikhismMaharaja Ranjit Singh, who was the founder and ruler of the Sikh Empire, also observed Raksha Bandhan as a festival. In fact, his wife Maharani Jindan sent a rakhi to the ruler of Nepal, who accepted her as sister. He even gave her refuge in the Hindu kingdom of Nepal in 1849 after the collapse of the Sikh Empire and annexation of its territories by the British.

Rani Karnavati Sent A Rakhi To Humayun To Help Protect Her Kingdom From Invasion

Rani Karnavati--the widowed queen of Chittor--is said to have sent a rakhi to Mughal Emperor Humayun, upon the looming threat of invasion from the Sultan of Gujarat, Bahadur Shah. Though Humayun turned up too late, it's no secret that he did honour the sentiment with which it was sent.

A Rakhi Saved King Alexander The Great's Life

According to legendary narrative, when Alexander the Great invaded India in 326 BCE, his wife Roxana send a sacred (Rakhi) to King Porus. She asked him to not kill her husband, which King Porus promised to do.

So in accordance with the tradition, when King Porus was about to kill Alexander, it was the rakhi on his wrist that reminded him of the promise and refrained him from killing his enemy.