History of Raksha Bandhan

The roots of Raksha Bandhan can be traced back to ancient times and medieval history. The festival is celebrated by recounting the story of Rani Karnavati of Mewar who sent a rakhi to Emperor Humayun in a bid to thank him for helping her at the time when her kingdom was under attack from Bahadur Shah of Gujarat. Humayun came to rescue and saved her kingdom.

As per Hindu mythology, Draupadi also tied a piece of cloth on Lord Krishna’s wrist when his finger was injured while battling the evil King Shishupal. Lord Krishna, in return, assured to protect her. Additionally, during the partition of Bengal in 1905, Rabindranath Tagore started the Rakhi Mahotsav, a mass Raksha Bandhan festival. The festival aimed at developing unity and love among Hindus and Muslims of Bengal.