With the last snan of Shravani Purnima on Thursday, the priests of Haridwar gathered on Ganga ghats and took the holy dip amidst chanting of Vedic mantras. With the end of Shravan and beginning of Bhadrapad (as per Hindu calendar), a chain of resplendent festivals liek Kajari Teej, Krishna Janmashtami and Haritalika Teej are in the offing.
The priests sanctified the Ganga ghats and smeared their bodies with Panch Gavya (five products derived from the cow’s milk and honey). They also took “Himadri Sankalp” (pledge to save Ganga and Himalayas). Sacred thread ceremonies were also performed by changing the old thread with new ones. Members of Ganga Mahasabha performed the holy rituals at the sanctum sanctorum Har Ki Pauri.
Taking a holy dip in Ganga, Ganga Mahasabha president Purushottam Sharma Gandhiwadi said,“On this occasion of Purnima, the raksha sutra (sacred thread) is sanctified with holy mantras. Raksha Bandhan has its genesis in Vedic period when priests used to sanctify raksha sutras (sacred threads) and after performing yajnas they tied these threads to their yajmanas (religious clients) who generally belonged to the Kshatriya clan who assured them of protection.”
Some myths and legends also surround this sacred thread tying ceremony. The legend goes that after the Gods suffered initial reverses in a protracted battle against the demons, Guru Brahaspati performed some religious rituals and asked Indrani to tie the sanctified thread on the wrist of her consort Indra. The Rakhi filled lord Indra with heroic qualities and subsequently he easily vanquished the demons. So it was in the beginning husband and wife tying rakish as bond of love and not the brother and sister as developed later.
The general secretary of Ganga Mahasabha Ram Kumar Mishra told The Pioneer that whosoever seeks security may tie the sacred thread Rakhi to his savior. “It is not necessarily the festival of the siblings,” he added.