Raksha Bandhan – Shubh Muhurat And The Stories Behind This Festival

Siblings are your first friends and first rivals, you’ve probably shared so many precious moments with them and even had those fights where you yelled and threw tantrums at each other. But no matter what, you love each other a lot and the days spent with your siblings are the moments we cherish forever. Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi as it is popularly called is one such day that celebrates the bond of love between siblings. It falls on Purnima in the month of Shravan. This year, Raksha Bandhan, also called Rakhi Purnima is on 3rd August. In the morning, brothers and sisters dress up in their best clothes to celebrate this occasion. Sisters tie rakhi on their brothers’ wrists as a token of love and affection, they also pray for their brothers’ prosperity and long life. The brothers in return shower their sisters with rakhi gifts and vow to take care of their sisters. This festival which is celebrated with gusto all over India brings the entire family together. Sweets, dry fruits, chocolates and other goodies are bought.  

History and Significance

Raksha Bandhan has a lot of historical significance. There are many different stories that are linked with the Hindu mythology. One of those famous stories is that once there was a war between the devils and Gods where Gods were losing. At that moment, Lord Indra called Lord Brihaspati for some advice and during that time, Indra’s wife Indrani was also present. Before Brihaspati could suggest something, Indrani said that she knew how to assure God’s win in the battle. Indrani prepared an amulet in Shravan’s Shukla Purnima the next day and got that amulet tied on her husband’s wrist by Brahmins. As a result of which, the Gods won the battle and Indra remained unscathed. Since that day, the amulet came to be known as Raksha Sutra and from then onwards, Rakhi is celebrated on full moon in the Shravan month

There is also a Raksha Bandhan story related to the epic Mahabharata. As per that story, Lord Krishna got hurt in his index finger while he was killing ShishuPal. In order to stop the blood flowing from Krishna’s finger, Draupadi tore a piece of her sari and tied it on his bleeding finger. That piece of garment was nothing short of a Raksha Sutra for Krishna. Krishna decided to protect her from that day onwards. And this is how Krishna came to Draupadi’s rescue when she was disrobed in King Dhritarashtra’s court.

Another popular story is that King Bali once approached Lord Vishnu to protect his kingdom from enemies. Vishnu decided to help Bali and for that, he was all set to leave his home. But Goddess Lakshmi did not want Lord Vishnu to leave home. She reached Bali’s home in the disguise of a Brahmin woman and asked for shelter. On the day of Shravan Purnima, she tied a thread on Bali’s wrist and told her why she came. Touched by this gesture of the Goddess, Bali requested Vishnu to not leave his heavenly home. Thus, Raksha Bandhan is also called ‘Baleva’ which implies the devotion of King Bali towards Lord Vishnu.

Auspicious Time (Muhurat)

The most auspicious muhurat for Rakhi is Aparahan. If in case, Aprahan Muhurat is not available, Rakhi rituals can be performed during the Pradosh time. Avoid performing the rituals during Bhadra Muhurat as that is considered inauspicious. The list of Shubh Muhurat is as follows:

Raksha Bandhan: August 3rd, 2020

Auspicious Muhurat to tie Rakhi: From 5:49 AM to 06:01 PM

Aparahan time: From 1:47 PM to 4:28 PM

Pradosh time: From 19:10 PM to 21:17 PM (Pradosh time is used when aparahan time is not available.)

Purnima Tithi Starts at 9:28 PM on the evening of August 2

Purnima Tithi Ends at 9:28 PM on the evening of August 3

Bhadra End Time: 9:28 AM

Astrologer Yogendra Pvt. Ltd. wishes you all a happy and memorable Raksha Bandhan!