# Today Is Raksha Bandhan



## ik-jivan (Aug 24, 2010)

<!--StartFragment -->Celebrate Raksha Bandhan on Tuesday 24th August 2010, a festival of bond between brothers and sisters. 

Does Raksha Bandhan have a place in Sikhi?  Some say 'No':
<!--StartFragment -->http://lakhvir.wordpress.com/2006/07/28/why-raksha-bandhan-has-no-place-in-sikhi/ 

Can we observe this day like we do Mother's Day or Father's Day and let there be a 'Sibling's Day' without association with Hindu relgious connection, or should Sikhs avoid Raksha Bandhan?

What are your thoughts?  What's the general consensus of the Sangat?


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## harbansj24 (Aug 24, 2010)

Ik jivan ji,

Raksha Bandhan is perfectly alright if it is for reinforcing strong bonds between brother and sister. It should not opposed just on the grounds of being a "Hindu" custom.
Sikhi is against empty ritualism. You will find thousands of women going to Gurudwaras and tying rakhis to the palki of Guru Granth Sahib. It is this sort of ritualism that should be strongly discouraged.


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## ik-jivan (Aug 24, 2010)

Thank you Harbansj24 ji and happy Raksha Bandhan to you and all VeerJi around the world today!

Sat Sri Akal,
ikonkaar


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## Hardip Singh (Aug 24, 2010)

Rakhi has no place in Sikhism. If you had listened to the todays morning telelcast on Chardikala TV from Gurdwara Bangla Sahib,in which the lady katha vachak cleared the whole concept very clearly and urged all Sikhs to celebrate this as "Bhram torr diwas" or "lets break all these illusions and misunderstandings". Guru Sahib has clearly dictated that its only and only the AKALPURAKH himself who will be helping you when such a situation comes in ones life. cheerleader


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## kds1980 (Aug 24, 2010)

In India Rakhi is truly a woman's day.It is one of the worst night mare for a boy  who has feeling for agirl and taht girl  says that she want's to tie rakhi to him.Even today a Girl can tie Rakhi to a boy who is harrassing her.This is the festival that boys hate and girls love


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## Hardip Singh (Aug 24, 2010)

Kanwardeep Singh said:


> In India Rakhi is truly a woman's day.It is one of the worst night mare for a boy who has feeling for agirl and taht girl says that she want's to tie rakhi to him.Even today a Girl can tie Rakhi to a boy who is harrassing her.This is the festival that boys hate and girls love


 
Veer jeo,
You made us laugh like any thing. Really witty comments on Rakhi. But what are your Views whether Sikhism approves it or not.
Reagrds and Guru fateh


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## kds1980 (Aug 24, 2010)

Hardip Singh said:


> Veer jeo,
> You made us laugh like any thing. Really witty comments on Rakhi. But what are your Views whether Sikhism approves it or not.
> Reagrds and Guru fateh




There is nothing wrong if one celebrate Rakhi as culutural festival.These days when families are getting away from each other these type of festivals Bring them  closer


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## findingmyway (Aug 24, 2010)

We are taught to treat all as our family. If we start differentiating between our immediate family and the world then we are doing the opposite of what the Guru's did. Rakhri enforces the idea that this is my family but you are an outsider.

Having said that, it can come in useful socially. I started tying a rakhi on my gujrati friend at university and so our friendship was looked on very favourably by others and I was well looked after during his wedding by his family!


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## ik-jivan (Aug 24, 2010)

Today I wished ‘Happy Raksha Bandhan’ to all my brothers AND sisters familiar with the custom and took the time to discuss the history, traditional meaning and the current value it possesses with Sikh friends. 

Perhaps I have adapted it a little to suit the times and culture of my environment, as well as my intentions. After all, women can be found to protect, defend and nurture as often and as effectively as men. And as Kanwardeep Singh ji pointed out, this is a great day for young ladies to elevate the thoughts of the young men in their lives. 

As a confirmation of gender equality and mutual respect, honour and chivalry, I think the tradition of Raksha Bandhan is acceptable, for now. I have Punjabi Sikh friends who still maintain the tradition. Rejecting it outright would drive a wedge between myself and them and reinforce the power that ‘blood ties’ already have over Sikhs with Hindu origins. I decided, instead, to use open and friendly discussion about Raksha Bandhan to encourage the Sikh principles of universal brotherly love and gender equality.


Chardi Kala!
t


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## dalbirk (Aug 25, 2010)

Raksha Bandhan in the traditional sense of a brother vowing to keep a sisters' honour intact is a bit less appealing in term of Sikhism where both male & female are treated as equals . Females are in no way inferior to males when it comes to saving oneself's honour . But in general it is a mood of family get together bonding between brother & sister , a sweet poison if you can say in terms if you wish to live the Gurmat way of life . Make it sure that the sweet never turns poison ( the Brahministic tendencies get better of you )


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## ik-jivan (Aug 25, 2010)

Dalbirk ji,
No worries there . . . I don’t acknowledge Raksha Bandhan myself, but I noticed that the rural Punjabi Sikh of Hindu origin within my circle do, which is why I decided to open discussion here and with them about the occasion. It is very unlikely to sprout Brahministic tendencies though. Here, the consensus is that the brothers give gifts of cash to the sisters and the sisters cook for the brothers. The vow that seems to be affirmed is for men to financially support women and for women to nurture and feed men. In one family I know, it’s a straight exchange of money between sisters and brothers. So, the tradition does seem to have evolved to include more gender equal tones.

There’s still a bit of imbalance though. . . . while sisters have gained financial independence by holding down jobs of their own and are less reliant on brothers, brothers still haven’t acquired most of the skills needed to cook. LOL! 

Chardi Kala!


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## kds1980 (Aug 25, 2010)

dalbirk said:


> Raksha Bandhan in the traditional sense of a brother vowing to keep a sisters' honour intact is a bit less appealing in term of Sikhism where both male & female are treated as equals . Females are in no way inferior to males when it comes to saving oneself's honour . But in general it is a mood of family get together bonding between brother & sister , a sweet poison if you can say in terms if you wish to live the Gurmat way of life . Make it sure that the sweet never turns poison ( the Brahministic tendencies get better of you )



Well this is just a theory .How many brothers these days go to help their sisters. later in life ?as far saving honour is concerned I am sorry to say that in India 
Fathers and brothers are still given responsibility to protect there daugthers and sisters irrespective of Religion.If a girl say that today she is going to come late from college or work  then majority of families still ask there brothers or sometime Fathers to pick them up.At that time no wise family say girls are equal to boys so we don't care whether you come at 12:00 A:m or 1 A:m


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## spnadmin (Aug 25, 2010)

I cannot resist from adding some complications. Please forgive me.

If I were reading only the stream of comments on my facebook wall and not this thread i would get a completely different idea of Raksha Bandhan 

In fact the overall impression would be totally different. At one time I was indifferent about Rhaksha Bandhan, and thought it a sweet and sentimental holiday. Now I think  young people may become confused about how different the practice of Sikhi is from Brahaminism. 

To read my facebook wall all of the conversation ireviews the Vedic stories about Raksha Bhandhan, how its source is the vedas, and how its modern meaning is the "brotherhood" of all human kind. 

The contrast is stark. swordfight Kids have to be confused by this. Especially if there is more information on social networks about Vedas than about Skkhi. Does it take us back to the discussion of whether Sikhi is an offshoot of the Vedas? How far have things drifted?


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## kds1980 (Aug 25, 2010)

> The contrast is stark. swordfight  Kids have to be confused by this. Especially if there is more  information on social networks about Vedas than about Skkhi. Does it  take us back to the discussion of whether Sikhi is an offshoot of the  Vedas? How far have things drifted?



To be honest there are many more festivals in India Like Diwali where sikh kids really got confused.Hardly anyone any mythological story related to Rakhri.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raksha_Bandhan

The most popular story that some people know is of Rani karmavati and humayon


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## ik-jivan (Aug 26, 2010)

Ji,
I think the way everyone seems to have a different view about the meaning of Raksha Bandhan can teach us a lot about how idolatry and other non-Sikhi customs have been allowed to linger and flourish within Sikhi.

Maybe be we can learn from this.

Sat Sri Akal,
t


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## RakhiGifts (Jun 8, 2012)

Happy Raksha Bandhan and rakhi festival is a very loving and touching moments for all siblings.


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