Who started the festival of raksha bandhan?

Answer 1

*i think the modern day raksha bandhan started wn a rajasthani queen tied a rakhi to a muslim king to safeguard her 'honour'!!!
Its then , that it became a public festival ..... wn a sister ties a piece of thread to her bro. in a symbol of asking for his protection !!!!

Answer 2

Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi is a Hindu festival, which celebrates the relationship between brothers and sisters. It is celebrated on the full moon day of the month of Shravana and in 2007 it falls on August 28.

The festival is marked by the tying of a Rakhi, or holy thread by the sister on the wrist of her brother. The brother in return offers a gift to his sister and vows to look after her. The brother and sister traditionally feed each other sweets. It is still celebrated on this day. It is not necessary that the rakhi can be given only to a brother by birth; any male can be "adopted" as a brother by tying a rakhi on the person, whether they are cousins or a good friend. Indian history is replete with women asking for protection, through rakhi, from men who were neither their brothers, nor Hindus themselves.

Origins.

The origin of the festival is mostly attributed to one of following mythological incidents:

1. Indira's fight with Viritra - Indra, the king of devtas (gods), had lost his kingdom to the asura (demon) Vritra. At the behest of his Guru Brihaspati, Indra's wife Sachi tied a thread around her husband's wrist to ensure his victory in the upcoming duel.

2. Draupadi and Krishna during the Rajsuya yagya - After Shishupal's death, Krishna was left with a bleeding finger. Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas, had torn a strip of silk off her sari and tied it around Krishna's wrist to staunch the flow of blood. Touched by her concern, Krishna had declared himself bound to her by her love. He further promised to repay the debt manifold. Many years later when Draupudi was about to be shamed by being disrobed in front of the whole court by her evil brother-in-law Duryodhana, she called on Krishna to help her, and he did by divinely elongating her sari so it could not be removed.

3. According to another legend the Demon King Bali was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu had taken up the task to guard his kingdom leaving his own abode in Vaikunth. Goddess Lakshmi wished to be with her lord back in her abode. She went to Bali disguised as a Brahmin woman to seek refuge till her husband came back.

During the Shravan Purnima celebrations, Lakshmi tied the sacred thread to the King. Upon being asked she revealed who she was and why she was there. The king was touched by her goodwill for his family and her purpose and requested the Lord to accompany her. He sacrificed all he had for the Lord and his devoted wife.

Thus the festival is also called Baleva that is Bali Raja's devotion to the Lord. It is said that since then it has been a tradition to invite sisters in Shravan Purnima for the thread tying ceremony or the Raksha Bandhan.

4. According to another legend, Raksha Bandhan was a ritual followed by Lord Yama (the Lord of Death) and his sister Yamuna. Yamuna tied rakhi to Yama and bestowed immortality. Yama was so moved by the serenity of the occasion that he declared that whoever gets a rakhi tied from his sister and promised her protection will become immortal.

Nowadays Rakhis are decorated with soft silky threads of various colours, and also with ornaments, pictures, gold and silver threads etc. These Rakhis enhance the artistry of the people. Within these Rakhis reside sacred feelings and well wishes. It is also a great sacred verse of unity. Acting as a symbol of life's advancement and a leading messenger of togetherness.-

Answer 3

The origin of the festival is mostly attributed to one of following mythological incidents:

1. Indra's fight with Vritra - Indra, the king of devtas (gods), had lost his kingdom to the asura (demon) Vritra. At the behest of his Guru Brihaspati, Indra's wife Sachi[citation needed] tied a thread around her husband's wrist to ensure his victory in the upcoming duel.

2. Draupadi and Krishna during the Rajsuya yagya - After Shishupal's death, Krishna was left with a bleeding finger. Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas, had torn a strip of silk off her sari and tied it around Krishna's wrist to stop the flow of blood. Touched by her concern, Krishna had declared himself bound to her by her love. He further promised to repay the debt many fold. Many years later when Draupudi was about to be shamed by being disrobed in front of the whole court by her evil brother-in-law Duryodhana, she called on Krishna to help her, and he did by divinely elongating her sari so it could not be removed.
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Answer 4

Hindu scriptures and mythology is the source of all the Hindu rituals and festivals. One can find explanations for all the Hindu traditions and customs in the religious Hindu epics. Therefore the origin of Rakhi celebrations is also rooted in the Hindu mythology.

There is no confirm date and time available about the history of Rakhi festival but the story goes as follows...

In the Vedic period, on a 'Shravan Poornima' day (Full Moon Day of the Hindu month of Shravan), the deities and the demons were fighting a battle against each other. Unfortunately the demons were in a stronger position as compared to the deities. The king of the deities, Lord Indra, was very much worried about the result of the battle. His wife Indrani (also known as Shashikala) could not see him worried and prayed to the almighty. Indrani was a religious lady so she prepared a Talisman with her religious power and tied it around Indra's right wrist. She believed that this Talisman will safeguard Indra from the attack made by the demons. She was actually right about her belief as that day the deities won the battle and Lord Indra escaped unhurt.

As this Talisman had the power of protecting the one who holds it therefore it was called 'Raksha Sutra' and the ceremony of tying the Talisman was called 'Raksha Bandhan'. And since this ceremony took place on 'Shravan Poornima' day therefore it has become a tradition to celebrate 'Raksha Bandhan' on the 'Shravan Poornima' day every year.

Yama and Yamuna:
Yamuna was the sister of Lord Yama, the God of death. On every "Shravan Purnima" Yamuna used to tie a sacred thread (Rakhi) to Lord Yama. Since then it has become a tradition for the sisters to tie Rakhi to their brothers on this day. And the brothers bestow blessings on their sisters.

King Bali and Goddess Laxmi:
According to the mythology Raja Bali was such a great devotee of Lord Vishnu that Lord Indra felt insecured and he prayed Vishnu to help him save his throne. Vishnu accepted Indra's prayer and overthrew Bali beneath the earth. When Bali asked Lord Vishnu about such treatment, Vishnu gave him boon of immortality and also promised to take care of his kingdom. To keep his promise Vishnu left his residence, 'Vaikunthdham' to safeguard Bali's kingdom. Then the Goddess Laxmi, wife of Lord Vishnu, went to Raja Bali as a poor brahmin lady and requested him for shelter. She regarded Bali as her brother and therefore tied a Rakhi on to him on the 'Shravan Poornima' day. When Bali wished to give her some present she told him her true story and also told him that she came here because Lord Vishnu is here to guard his kingdom. So if he can, he should send Lord Vishnu back to Vaikunthdham. Raja Bali immediately requested Lord Vishnu and Goddess Laxmi to return.

King Porus and Alexander's wife:
The ancient history of India tells us that when Alexander the great came to India with a purpose to make India a part of his kingdom, he was resisted by the brave king Porus. Bravery of Porus led the wife of Alexander doubt the safety of her husband. Then the lady addressed Porus as her brother and thus became his sister. And a bond of Rakhi was established between them. That is why Porus never harmed Alexander.

Maharani Karnawati and Emperor Humayun:
In the Medieval Indian History the tale of Maharani Karnawati and the Mughal Emperor Humayun relates to the tradition of Rakhi. Maharani Karnawati was the queen of the Rajput Kingdom, Chittor, in Rajastan. When Chittor was threatened by Bahadur Shah of Mewar, the Maharani sent a Rakhi to Humayun, the Mughal Emperor of Delhi, and called him for help. Humayun was aware of the significance of Rakhi in the Hindu community so he immediately accepted her request to protect her. Nobody forced him to do so but he did so only out of his respect for the tradition of Rakhi.