Rakhi's Story: Everything You Wanted To Know About Raksha Bandhan

Have you ever wondered what is the story behind Raksha Bandhan? Why is it that every year, so many women go crazy looking for the perfect band for their brother? Well, as you may have guessed, there are many stories in Indian history that mention this festival, each with a similar moral but different contexts. Here is a compilation of the most famous stories behind the great Rakhi festival.
History of the Raksha Bandhan festival
Krishna and Draupadi
In all likelihood, the most popular story in Indian mythology is that of Lord Krishna and Draupadi, 'The wife of the five Pandavas'. The story goes that, in Makar Sankranti, Krishna cut his little finger when handling sugarcane. His queen, Rukmini, immediately sent an officer to get bandages. Meanwhile, Draupadi, who was watching the entire incident, cut off a bit of his sari and tied his finger to stop the bleeding. In return, Krishna promised to help her when necessary. That is the story behind the help Krishna gives him during Draupadi's heartbreaking, Krishna came and made his sari never end, saving him the shame by providing protection when he needed it most.
Rani Karnavati and Emperor Humayun
Another famous version of Rakhi's story is that of Rani Karnavati and Emperor Humayun. Karnavati was Mewar's officer after the death of her husband Rana Sanga. She ruled on behalf of her eldest son Vikramjeet. Bahadur Shah of Gujarat attacked Mewar for the second time. He had defeated Vikramjeet before. The queen began to seek the support of other kingdoms. Initially apprehensive, the nobles finally agreed to confront Shah. Meanwhile, Karnavati also wrote to Humayun for help. She sent him a rakhi and sought protection. Fascinatingly, Humayun's father, Babur, had defeated Rana Sanga when he directed an amalgamation of Rajput armies against him in 1527. The Mughal emperor was in the middle of another military campaign when he received the call for help. Leaving him, he turned his attention to Mewar.
Unfortunately, it never arrived on time since the Rajput army was defeated at Chittoor. But the queen had already set herself on fire to avoid the indignity of falling into the hands of Bahadur Shah. Shah, however, could not go further and had to get away from Chittoor when Mughal's military reinforcements arrived shortly thereafter. Humayun then restored the kingdom to Karnavati's son, Vikramjit.
Yama and the Yamuna
According to another legend, the ritual of Raksha Bandhan was followed by Yama, the Lord of Death and Yamuna, the river that flows in India. The story goes that when Yamuna tied a rakhi to Yama, the lord of death granted him immortality. And so, moved that he was by the gesture, it is said that he declared that any brother who had tied a Rakhi and offered to protect his sister would also become immortal.

By: Preeti Narula
Content: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/events/history-of-raksha-bandhan-festival/articleshow/59894135.cms