Raksha Bandhan celebrations in Om Ashram

The month of Shiva (Shravan) finished with a full moon on 29th August 2015, which is known as Raksha Bandhan.

In India, festivals are the celebration of togetherness, of being one of the family, and this one is no exception. The expression literally means a 'bond of protection,' signifying and celebrating the sacred relation between brothers and sisters. This is an occasion to nourish love, care, and sublime feelings of brotherhood.

The basic ceremony performed on this day is a sister tying a rakhi, i.e. a thread or some kind of a bracelet symbolizing the connection between a brother and a sister, around the wrist of a brother wishing him happiness and praying for his well-being. The brother, in turn, promises to stand by her through all the good and bad times, to protect and take care of her. They also present gifts to each other, which symbolizes their mutual affection and support. And, what is best, it is not only done among relatives, but can expand far beyond the family circle, which is exactly what happened here in our Ashram, home of many bhaktas from all over the world who have come here to study and do voluntary service. In addition to that, it is also the abode of students of our Gurukul, with whom we celebrated this occasion.

We all gathered in front of Shiv Mandir where we put rakhis on the boys’ wrists, then went inside where our pundit performed the puja and after that had a delicious meal, which is also a tradition of the day. In this way, we celebrated the happiness and love of being together, feeling the oneness, and were aware how much this festival can help in the attainment of the world peace and harmony for which many of us strive.