A Blessed Bond Symbolizing One Celibate Nexus

31 May 2016


The bond shared by a brother with his sister and vice versa is one of the most unique bonds of human society. Of all the relationships in this world, sibling relationship is confirmedly the most lasting one that stays with us throughout our journey of livelihood. This is the singular linkage that comes in our life before the first friend comes to our life and stays with us, in the most worthy manner, during the period when our parents leave us. This is one particular relationship of the world whose dynamics remain the same from our infancy to old age. The exclusive temperament that one shares with one’s brother or sister does not transform, irrespective of age maturity or evolutions in other spectrums of life. The vibes of quarrelling over tit-bits, laughing over the same joke, jointly arranging and surprising parents on their anniversary or on their respective birthdays, sharing within themselves new experiences of life remain totally untainted no matter how much ripeness of age garbs a brother-sister pair. This is an emotion-rich and feeling nurtured nexus which provides, for the lifetime of a person, authentic affectionate support during the individual’s tormenting times and true-felt greetings and warm embrace on any achievement of the person. We make friends in life and we drift apart from friends during our journey of livelihood due to many kinds of differences---but one’s brother or sister is the most enduring friend of life, whose hands and shoulder get available whenever those are needed for support and solace and no matter how much disparity exists between the mind of the individual and the mind of his sister or her brother. India, the country with the rich legacy of rituals and refinement, celebrates, through spiritual protocols, the God-gifted relation thriving between a brother and a sister. Famed as the “Raksha Bandhan” (“Raksha” meaning To Shield and “Bandhan” meaning Link) festival throughout the world, this holy observance cardinally lauds the brother-sister bond on a day with a full-moon bout during the middle of the August month. Essentially a veneration established upon the religious belief of Hinduism, this pious fete gets accomplished by the Hindus in India and as well as by those settled in foreign states with wholesome devoutness and vigor. On the aforementioned prime day of August designated by Indians as “Rakhi Purnima” (“Purnima” meaning Full-Moon Spell), a sister fastens on the right wrist of her brother a prismatic cord praised by the Hindus as “Rakhi”---the sacred string. Indians, with heartfelt passion and deepest belief, regard that this “Rakhi” necessitates brothers and sisters to get committed to each other with certain chaste vows. While the sister is required to avow for praying for her brother’s growth and glee in front of God during her lifetime, the brother is desired to swear for safeguarding his sister during her destitute times and ensuring her happiness throughout his lifetime. Just like the brother-sister relationship can take birth between any unrelated man and woman at any time only through the feel of the blessed fraternal emotion within each other and doesn’t essentially requires any family or blood connect, similarly the pietistic ardor of the “Raksha Bandhan” observance cloaks, along with blood brother-sister pairs and cousin brother-sister duos, unconnected men and women connected to each other solely by the sentiment of kinship.

The “Raksha Bandhan” commemoration is a time-honored one, which begun 6000 years back during the booming Indus Valley Civilization. Heart-filling tales of Indian mythology and history like that of Goddess “Yamuna” and her brother Death God “Yama”, Goddess “Laxmi” and her feel brother Vishnu-devotee demon king “Bali” and that of the Mahabharata princess “Draupadi” and her auspicious friend Lord Krishna serve as the base and the pillar of this pious realization. During the old times, simple cords of silk with rimmed cotton ends and of colors yellow and orange were gladly used by sisters as the “Rakhi” string to deck up the wrist of their brothers. But as time moved ahead and the fervors of handicraft design and innovative artistry gradually started to gain foothold within the Indian society, preferences of sisters began to deviate from the simple silken cords to Rakhis made of novel elements like metals and gems and those embellished with glittering finery. With the heading ahead current of time, Rakhis crafted from tinsels like velvet fabric, gold/silver/diamond flakes, “zari” tissues, semi-precious stones, wood pieces like sandalwood or rosewood, beads and with creative designs as centerpiece patterns have occupied a fulsome space in the hearts of sisters desiring to decorate, both with elegance and novelty the pulse of their prized brothers.

During the present times, patterns of flowers have become a choice elect of designers in devising heart-gladdening “Rakhi” bracelets. Floral shapes are materialized by using elements like ribbons, “zari”, silk tissues, crystals, “kundan” works, beads, and traditional components like cloves, cardamom, betel-nuts, small coconuts and such other appealing items. Fetching fragrance of flowers is sometimes added to these Rakhis, popular as the Floral Rakhis, in order to enhance their grandeur. Preserved real flowers are also used at times as center motifs of these Rakhis to make them all the more fascinating. Shapes of Lotus, Rose and Sunflower are the most favorite flowers of crafters in texturing the Floral Rakhis.

During the period of the “Raksha Bandhan” festival, big shops, gift stores and the e-stores as well showcase a vivid variety of Floral “Rakhi”s like Red and White Floral "Rakhi" (Red Carnation, Roses & Pearl), Beautiful Blue Orchid "Rakhi" (White Carnation, Blue Orchid and Tube Rose), Freshness All Around "Rakhi" (Blue Orchid & White Roses "Rakhi"), Heavy Fresh and Beautiful "Rakhi" (Tube Roses, Red and White Roses and Stones "Rakhi"), Floral Kundan Meena "Rakhi", Simple Floral Design White Red "Rakhi" Thread, Crystal Floral Beauty "Rakhi", Gorgeous White Flower Pearl "Lumba Rakhi", Orange and Gold “Kundan” Flower Designer "Rakhi", Brown “Reshmi Dori” (Silk Tissue) "Rakhi" With Red Floral Enamel Work and similar types of engaging Floral Rakhis for sisters to choose and profusely please their endeared brothers.

Just as exquisite is the wonder beauty of flowers with no other comparison in the world, so is distinctive the connect between a brother and his sister with the intrinsic feature of divinity. With soul-delighting view and mind-capturing texture, Floral Rakhis furbish the brother-sister relationship with the vivacity, freshness and grace proprietary to nature’s gift---flowers.

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