A laugh riot....PAGE 4 SUNDAY, AUGUST 26, 2018 INTERNET EDITION : www.dailyexcelsior.com/magazine Of donations and ....PAGE 3 FESTIVAL OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE Ashok Sharma Rabindra Nath Tagore also started the Raakhi festival in Shantiniketan to give the message of India is a land of festivals w hich reflect universal brotherhood and humanity. Over the our rich cultur e and herit a ge. Ther e are years, there have been many small yet reflec- fes tivals ass ociated with seas ons, hum an tive changes in celebrating this festival. These bonds, har ves t of cr ops, glory of Gods and days sisters and friends also tie raakhis to Goddesses etc. R akshabandhan, lit erally eachother promising eternal love and thus, this festival encompasses a larger perspective m e aning the Bond of Protection, is prim arily including a lifetime practice of moral, cultural a N orth Indian Fes tiv al w hich is celebr ated and spiritual values. to celebr ate the sublliminal bond of Today people have the option of sending unc onditional lo ve and affection be t w een online raakhis and gifts. What is required is just a br other and a sis ter. to look for an online store, buy a raakhi or gift, make the payment through Credit card and This day also known as Rakhi Poornima, falls send it to the brother or sister living thousands on the Full Moon day, in the Month of Shravan of miles away.Then, unlike the past, markets as per Hindu Lunar Calender. This is a secular are flooded with raakhis of innumerable festival celebrated irrespective of caste, reli- designs, shapes, sizes, colours and materials. gion, state and is also celebrated in our neigh- Children also celebrate this day by flying kites bouring countries such as Nepal and Mauritius. of different colours, sizes and price range. In On this day, sisters tie a thread on the wrist of rural areas, children and the youth enjoy this their brothers, cousins and adopted brothers day by swinging on long cradles tied to the who promise them protection from untoward strong branches of trees. happenings and assure unconditional love to But with the passage of time, the vibrancy, their sisters. The sisters who, in turn, pray for colourfulness and enthusiasm which charac- the long and happy life of their brothers. This terised this festival a few decades ago are miss- festival is so popular that many Bollywood films ing. Those were the days when there were only are based on the brother-sister relationship a few means of recreation and transport and with the protagonist conveying the message life was not so fast. People had enough time at that he can go any extent for protecting his sis- their disposal to celebrate the festivals. Such ter from untoward happenings. Many Bolly- festivals served to break the monotony of rou- wood songs including the popular number' tine life, bring the people closure to each oth- Bhaiya mere, raakhi ka bandhan nibhaana', er and celebrate life. It was only during these meri pyari behniya banegi dulhania, etc are festivals that people, especially brothers and based on this affectionate bond of sibling. sisters would meet, share joys and sorrows and Rakshabandhan which is celebrated in then depart again to meet on the eve of next fes- our State, especially in Jammu province, has many legends asso- tival. Sisters would come with home cooked ciated with it.According to the food especially Khamires (fermented cakes) accounts from Mahabharta, It w as onl y during and potatoes or keurs and tie raakhis to their one day, Lord Krishna, thes e festivals tha t -EXCELSIOR/RAKESH brothers while the entire family watched the while in the company of ritual. It was thought auspicious for the broth- the Pandavas, was fly- people, especiall y br others and asked Lord Vish- thread on the wrist of Lord Yama as symbol of paste and mixing citrus juice to the paste) on er to taste the food from his sister's home. It ing kites when he hap- sis ters w ould m e e t, shar e joys and nu to stay with eternal love that they had as siblings and asked their palms a day or two before the festival. As used to be the occasion when the estranged pened to cut his finger him in his him to visit her every year. Lord Yama was it dries , the reddish colour comes up at the palm brother-sister would end all their differences on the thread. Drau- sorr ow s and then depart againto palace, a touched by this gesture and he granted her pro- and the hand where it is applied.On the day of with the sister tying the raakhi around the padi, in order to stop request Lord tection and immortality and promised to bless the festival, they take bath, worship the family brother's wrist. the bleeding from meet on the ev e of next festival. Vishnu grant- the brother who protected his sister.According Deity, perform brother's aarti and apply tilak, a That fun, frolic and togetherness seems to Lord Krishna's fin- Sis ters w ould come with home cooked ed.But Lord to yet another legend, Lord Ganesha had creat- colourful mark and rice on their foreheads, put have lost somewhere along the course of time ger, immediately Vishnu's con- ed Goddess Santoshi out of divine flames as his sweets in their mouth, tie the coloured sacred thanks to the impact of technology, social media tore a piece from her food especiall y Khamir es (fermented sort, Goddess sons Shubh and Labh had insisted that they thread or amulet around their wrist and pray for and hectic modern life. Our traditional festivals attire and tied it Lakshmi didnot wanted a sister. Rakshabandan is celebrated to their prosperity and long life. Brothers, on their are, infact degenerating into a mere ritual and around his finger. cak es) and po tatoes or keurs and like the palace or rejoice this divine relationship between Shubh, part, give gifts to their sisters and the ritual losing their charm with the young generation. Lord Krishna was tie raakhis to their br others his newfound Labh and Goddess Santoshi. ends. Brothers continue to wear the holy raakhi No wonder, children switch over to mobiles, greately touched by this relationship with This festival is celebrated with great enthu- till the festival arrives next year. Both brothers laptops and other gadgets as soon as the ritual gesture of love and prom- w hile the en tire f amil y Bali. So she went to siasm. Preparations for the celebration of this and sisters donot eat food till the auspicious of tying the raakhi is over.It is time to ponder ised her lifelong protection. w atched the ritu al. Bali, tied him a raakhi festival start many days in advance.Sisters start time for tying the raakhi arrives. Some girls also how we can inculcate love and interest in the It is believed that when the and made him her broth- buying raakhis as per the taste of their brothers tie raakhis to the boys in the neighbourhood children for these festivals and to introspect er. Bali asked her what gift and their own budgets while the brothers start adopting them as their brothers and maintain- Kauravas were trying to shame whether more weightage should be given to the she desired upon which Laksh- surveying the markets for gifts for their sisters in this pious relation throughout life. Those sis- Draupadi by stripping her in public, it monetary value of raakhis or sanctity, love, mi replied that Lord Vishnu be freed on this pious occasion.As the day of Raakhi ters whose brothers are away send their raakhs was that small piece of cloth that Lord Krishna affection and togetherness of the festivals after from the request that he live with Bali in the comes, there is an atmosphere of joy and festiv- by post so that it reaches them in time. The men increased in size to cover her while she was all festivals are about celebration of together- palace.Bali consented and accepted her as his ity in each and every household. Brothers and in uniform guarding our frontiers too are not being stripped and thus, began the ritual of ness and human relations. sister. According to yet another legend, Lord sisters wear new dresses and are in great spir- forgotten on this auspicious day and many tying raakhis.According to Bhagvata Purana (The writer is serving as lecturer in English, Govt. and Vishnu Purana, after Vishnu won the three Yama, the God of Death met his sister Yamuna, its. Women and girls apply heena and celebrities and local girls and women tie raakhis Hr.Sec.School, Thial (Udhampur) worlds from the demon King Bali, the latter the river after twelve long years.Yamuna tied a 'Teera'(made from a herb by crushing it into a on their wrists making them feel at home. A pilgrim a ge of f aith V K Magotra the first stop of yatra, then it stops for night rest at Atholi- all tribulations promised The en tir e ne wl y created district of Kisht w ar, in J&K state Paddar and Chashooti. On 5th day it reaches ancient temple Mata for this on a condi- of Chandi mata Machail. With prominence of the shrine in tion: whenever there will is bestow ed with shrines and pilgrim a ges. Pr ominent view, the Governments of J&K and Himachal Pradesh brace be drum beating in her among them ar e the Zair ats of Shah Farid-ud-Din and up themselves for making journey of pilgrims safe and com- memory, the first beat of Shah Asrar-ud-Din in Kish t w ar t own, the eigh teen -armed fortable.