Rakhi / Narali Purnima
Raksha
Bhandan
Raksha Bhandan is celebrated on the full-moon day in the month of
Sravana (July-August). In North India, the occasion is popularly called Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi, the tying of an amulet. On this day, sisters tie an
amulet, the Rakhi, around the right wrist of their brothers praying for
their long life and happiness. Raksha means protection, and in some places
in medieval India, where women felt unsafe, they tied Rakhi round the wrists
of men they could count upon, regarding them as brothers.
The festival of Raksha Bandhan is similar to
Karthikay in Kartika (October-November) in South India. On this day, sisters
offer food to brothers to wish them a long life. The festival is an occassion to
strengthen the bond between a brother and a sister. In South India, The Raksha
Bandhan full moon day is a household festival for the men, where the sacred
thread is ceremoniously changed.
Raksha Bandhan is based on an ancient legend. The legend goes that the gods
were having a war with the demons. The god Indra got help from his wife. She
tied a piece of silk around his wrist to ward off the evil demons. With the silk
around his wrist, Indra beat back the devils and got back his home in the
heavens. Today, Hindu girls with brothers give them special bracelets woven of
silk (called rakhi) on this day.
The rakhi are made of red and gold thread. They are a symbol of the bond between
brothers and sisters. When the sisters give their brothers the rakhis, they give
them candy to eat as well. The brothers give their sisters little gifts in
return.
Narali Purnima
On the full moon day of Shravan, after one or two months of heavy rains and
strong winds, the sea becomes calm. On this day boats are allowed to launch into
the sea again. But before doing so the sea is worshipped by throwing a coconut
(“naral”) into the water. In this way Varun, the god of the water, is
worshipped.
The Coconut as “Prasad”
The coconut is a fruit full of symbolism. It is known as “Shriphal”, or
“divine fruit”. Within its hard shell it contains food and drink, the two
essential elements God has placed in creation for man’s nourishment. The hard
shell expresses God’s desire that man should enjoy the fruits of the earth
through personal effort.
The coconut is the most common fruit used as an offering to God. The effort
needed to break the shell represents the element of sacrifice. The kernel and
the water are first offered to God and then shared with all those present, and
also taken home to be shared with relatives and neighbours as “prasad”, or food
blessed by God.