The Rakhi festival, celebrated on Shrawan Purnima, is being observed today in Mahottari and various other districts of Madhes. On this day, sisters tie a Raksha Sutra (protective thread) on their brothers’ right wrists, wishing for their well-being and prosperity. In the Mithila region, this tradition is widely known as “Rakhi” and is regarded as a symbol of love and harmony between brothers and sisters.
Preparations for the festival begin days in advance, turning the entire Mithila region festive. This year, the recent monsoon rains after a long drought have brought added joy to the celebrations, as farmers were able to plant their main paddy crops in time for the festival. “We were worried because of the delayed planting, but the rains during Shrawan Shukla Paksha have been a blessing,” said Dhirendra Rai of Sugabhawanipatti, Jaleshwar-4, noting that the timely rains have made it possible to celebrate with happiness.
Markets have been bustling with activity, with colorful Rakhi threads on display in shops and stalls. Women and girls have been gathering at these stalls to purchase Rakhis for their brothers, while also preparing traditional sweets to serve them. This has led to a surge in demand at sweet shops from early morning.
Brothers living away from home often return to celebrate the day with their sisters. In Mithila, married sisters either visit their parental home or celebrate with their in-laws depending on convenience, while unmarried girls prepare for the event at their own homes. Even young children are involved, with parents helping them get ready for the festival.
Folk songs expressing love, harmony, and devotion between siblings resonate throughout the region. Once the Rakhi is tied and sweets are served, brothers traditionally give gifts, clothes, jewelry, or cash to their sisters as a token of love. Scholars say the festival is an integral part of the broader Hindu Rakshabandhan tradition, in which priests also tie blessed threads to their disciples and patrons.
The festival is rooted in ancient legends, including one in which the demon king Bali was tied with a sacred protective thread by his guru Shukracharya before a battle with the gods. Another popular belief in Mithila holds that Bali’s sisters, Ganga and Yamuna, tied a Raksha Kavach on his wrist before a war, in which he emerged victorious. In memory of this event, sisters in the region continue the tradition of tying Rakhis to their brothers every year on Shrawan Purnima, praying for their courage and success.
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