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NEW DELHI: With the last showers of the departing monsoon, RAKSHA BANDHAN, literally meaning `security band', sets off northern India's festive season. Days are cooler in the plains, from Punjab-Haryana in the west to Assam in the east. Humidity and temperature levels drop and the weather gets more pleasant. Outdoors are beckoning. Raksha Bandhan is a family festival, to reaffirm the bond between siblings, brothers and sisters. But not blood bonds alone. A girl can tie the colourful string - plain, silver, golden, of beads or any other beautiful trinkets, floral patterns, laces etc - on any boy's wrist to make him a foster brother. It is a bond of simple affection as well as a symbol of solemn pledge by the brother to protect the girl and by her, of the brother's well-being. No religious rites are involved, though many trace its origin in mythology, thousands and thousands of years old. Gods and Goddesses followed it for varying purposes. What happened when Draupadi decorated Lord Krishna with one? That is the strory in the epic Mahabharata. Rakhi had, on many an occasion, played political role as well in the lives of kings and queens, even abroad like in the case of Alexander the Great. In today's world it could act like a totem of social security. It's application can also stretch to banish acts of sexual overtures. In simple terms it's a celebration of pure, selfless affection, of filial bonds on the full moon day of the Indian month of Shravan (July-Aug). A decline in the temperature graph towards the third week of August is time for the advent of the divine Krishna (incarnation of one of the aspects of God or avatar) on the earth. Birth of this legendary, playfyl divine child is celebrated at midnight - the zero hour. The festival is called KRISHNA JANMASHTAMI or Gopal Ashtami (eighth day of the moonless fortnight). The celebrations are both public and private. People conduct birth rites at home in a symbolic way and distribute blessed sweets. In public, in temples and market places tableaux are created depicting scenes from the life and legends of Krishna. The festival season moves on to NAVRATRI or nine nights of Goddess Durga who symbolises primal power. While in eastern India people celebrate the ``arrival'' of the Goddess and her ``presence'' among them for nine days, before she returns to her home in Mount Kailash, in other regions it's the festival of Rama , the divine hero of Ramayana, one of the great epics of India. RAMALEELA or the story of Rama's life and deeds concluding with the slaying of Ravana, a tyrant, celebrates the victory of good over evil. The tenth day is celebrated as Vijayadashami (the victory day). This festival season ends with DEEPAVALI or the festival of lights, believed to mark Rama's ascension on his throne after returning to his kingdom with his younger brother Lakshmana and his consort Sita whose abduction cost Ravana his life. -by
A Correspondent
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