Raksha Bandhan: Legendary story behind the sacred festival of brother and sister

The festival of Raksha Bandhan celebrates the special bond of brother and sister is just around the corner of the month. But have you ever pondered upon the idea of why this day is celebrated?  Why is it that every year, so many women go crazy looking for the perfect band for their brother?

Many stories in Indian history mention this festival, each with similar morals but different contexts. In this article, we shall read about goddess Laxmi and Bali.
This story of King Bali and Goddess Lakshmi symbolizes the holy bond of Raksha Bandhan. Their story is a popular example of how committed brothers and sisters can be to each other. This mythological story depicts the sacred bond of Rakhi which is filled with love, compassion, faith, and loyalty.

Raksha Bandhan: Lakshmiji is associated with Raksha Bandhan festival, learn this legend
 

According to mythology, the demon king Bali, grandson of Prahlad, was a true devotee of Lord Vishnu. With the blessings of the Lord, he became unconquerable on the battlefield and was able to defeat all the gods, the whole heaven, particularly Lord Indra, apprehensive of his growing strength. Then finally, Lord Vishnu, in the form of Vamana (dwarf), arrived on earth to save Indra and other deities from the hardships. King Bali had the reputation of being a generous and fair king. Using this quality, Vamana asked for space that could be covered from three sides.

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King Bali thought that surely a dwarf would not be able to cover much land and agreed to his request. As soon as the king's request was accepted, the dwarf turned into Lord Vishnu and his three feet covered the earth, the sky, and the entire universe. As a result, Bali had to leave. But, Lord Vishnu decided to protect Bali and brought him back from the land below as he could see his devotee suffers. Bali was assured divine protection and immortality until the next age when he would be crowned Indra. Lord Vishnu disguised himself as the gatekeeper of Bali and protected him from all dangers.

As a result, Vaikuntha became devoid of God and Goddess Lakshmi became restless. She came down to earth as a Brahmin woman in an attempt to get her love back. She told Bali that her husband has left for a long time and he needs a place to live. King Bali welcomed her wholeheartedly and protected her as his sister. Ever since the arrival of the Brahmin woman i.e. the goddess herself, the entire house of Bali suddenly bloomed with happiness, wealth, and harvest.

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Finally, on the full moon day of the month of Shravan, Goddess Lakshmi tied a thread of colored cotton on the wrist of Bali and prayed for protection and happiness. Impressed by his honesty, Bali granted her anything she wanted to ask for. Then immediately, Goddess Lakshmi pointed to the gatekeeper and requested Bali to return her husband. Confused, Bali asked how a gatekeeper could be the husband of such a virtuous woman! Then both Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi revealed their true identities, being a virtuous person and protective brother, Bali requested the Lord to accompany the Goddess back to Vaikuntha. But to keep his promise, the Lord comes back every year for about four months during the period of Chaturmas i.e. monsoon season. This festival is also known as Baleva to celebrate the sacrificial affection towards the Lord and his sister, the Goddess Laxmi. Since then, brothers all over the world follow the tradition of inviting their sisters to tie the thread of love and celebrate Raksha Bandhan.
 

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