of love

yellow monstrosity for rakhi – not even as payback for all the fights we had had over the years.

Oh well, I thought, I’ll just make my own rakhis, and walked into Lincraft. A few ribbons and ribbon roses later, I had two beautiful rakhis carefully taped onto two blank greeting cards, and wrote a line in each: “I pray that all your dreams may come true”. So what if the rakhi looks different, I thought, both boys will understand. And next year, hopefully, the Indian stores here will have some better designs.

As it turns out, both brothers loved those rakhis – and I have never sent them store-bought once since, except for the year when my second child was born and I barely had enough time to breathe. Some years, I’ve stitched on tiny glass beads in place of ribbon roses, that is, whenever I have been a bit better organised to do this well in advance. But the rakhi line inside the cards has remained the same, for two reasons: one, I figure I can be myself with my brothers and have no need to ‘act’ or impress; and two, I mean those words from the bottom of my heart.

The number of ribbon rakhis have now increased from two to seven, with my daughter sending out her wishes to her cousin-brothers in various parts of the world.

For one of my brothers who was in the Indian Air Force, it was hard to keep track of all the change in addresses as he moved from posting to posting. One time, as he got ready to serve 9 months in Sudan as part of the UN Peace Keeping Force, I said to him, where shall I post your rakhi? He thought for a moment and said, “We’ll talk on the phone or email on the festival, don’t post me anything”.

Soon after, I heard a rakhi special on Indian Link Radio

One frequent listener Subhadra Moudgal had rung in with her own rakhi story. Subhadraji, with her gentle voice and sensible thoughts, was everyone’s ‘mother figure’ in Indian Link Radio’s world. “I just tie my rakhi onto Ganeshji’s wrist in my home mandir,” Subhadraji revealed on air. “And I hope he carries my wishes to my brother.”

I tied my own rakhi that year on Ganeshji’s wrist and prayed he would carry my wishes to Sudan.

Ganeshji has a change of rakhi every year at my home.

Rajni Luthra

Making it modern

It is interesting how the celebration of rakhi has changed with our lifestyle. I remember in India I tied rakhi to my only sibling early in the morning on an empty stomach, as was the ritual. We then broke the fast with a sweet.

I am fortunate to have my brother migrate to Australia soon after I did, and we still continue the tradition albeit with some modernisation or shall I call it ‘convenieinisation.’ We pick a nice restaurant to eat in and I take a scarf along with me to cover my head (have to follow some traditions), a box of his favourite chocolates and a gift. As he is golf mad his rakhi gift is predictably related to golf. As he often tells me I am solely responsible for his nice little coffee table collection of golf books and guides.

Every rakhi when we are too busy to celebrate at home or if it falls on a weekday, we try to find a restaurant where our little ritual is not drowned in the din of cutlery and noises from a busy place. Last year for example, I chose a Chinese Sichuan style restaurant where they have a hot pot that everyone can share and cook the ingredients for their soup together. It was a fun way to bond with family, as our entire kith and kin rocked up for the event. Huddled together around our communal hot pot we shared more than just a meal we dipped into the affection that glues families together. I am a true believer of the phrase ‘blood is thicker than water’. Tying a rakhi to my brother just reiterates that faith.

Preeti Jabbal

No money, no rakhi

Raksha bandhan is the bond of love that celebrates the relationship between brothers and sisters. But that’s not the

A sense of culture…and sweets!

For us, rakhi is our way of getting our son and daughters to bond closer together. It is the family connection that we want our children to keep alive as they grow up. We have tried to look at where the concept of rakhi started, and celebrating all the festivals is our way of giving our children a sense of culture – their culture. My kids really enjoy rakhi and participate in it with enthusiasm. The best part is everyone in the family is happy – the girls get a present from their loving brother and my son…well he just looks forward to the sweets!

Sushil Bedi

Rakhi for me!

only motive of celebration, when one is young. Cut to my school days when rakhi used to be synonymous with some extra pocket money for the month! A thread of love that reaped immediate benefit, not to forget the blackmailing that preceded it all. After all the terms were simple, “no money, no rakhi!” Being the youngest, it was advantage “me” all the time. Oh, the good old days of childhood…

But soon priorities change and it’s a matter of time before you realise that it’s only the love and bond that matters, nothing else. I was in the first year of my college and bhaiya had just got a job but in a different city. Rakhi was only a week away and he would not be in town, it would be our first long distance celebration. I didn’t want even a penny this time, all I wanted was to be there to tie the thread of love around my brother’s wrist. The countdown had begun and now rakhi was only two days away. Suddenly the doorbell rang and the next thing I found myself doing was opening a sealed envelope. Two air tickets to Mumbai, for my didi and me. My excitement knew no bounds. The next morning we boarded the flight and yes, there was bhaiya receiving his two sisters. I couldn’t have asked for more… love you bro!

Priyanka Tater

Raksha bandhan brings back so many fond memories for me. I remember when I was little, I got really upset that I did not have a rakhi tied on me. Tears and questions followed - why only my brother and not me? That year the tradition was altered slightly, and I got one too, a plain one with lots of threads and without the extra decorations on top. There! I was happy, and this practice was followed through many forthcoming rakhis. Over the years I’d look forward to every Rakhi and spend the days before hiding the rakhi in places my brother would never find it with my dad teasing me, that he might drop hints to help Ajay find it. My mom would help me prepare for rakhi and teach me how to make sweets, while I would decorate the thali on my own, taking time to make it look pretty. Looking back, I can only say that I have the best brother in the world who has not only been my best friend, but has also taken care of me as an older brother would. He has kept his word when he said he would protect me in return for my rakhi! We spent many years away as I moved to Australia with my family, but I always think of him on rakhi. And this raksha bandhan, Ajay, as you read this page here in Australia, I’d like to thank you for being there for me. I hope you have all that you hope for, all that you dream of and all that you wish for. And remember, even if I had the chance, I’d want no other brother!

Neelam Vasudevan