An important festival in the lunar calendar, falling during the auspicious month of Shravan – Raksha Bandhan occurs on the 30th of August this year. The muhrat, or auspicious timing to celebrate the festival this year is a time period of twelve hours – between 9:28 to 21:14 hours. Meant to celebrate the bond between the brother and sister, Raksha Bandhan quite literally means ‘the bond of protection’. Sisters across the country tie rakhis on the wrists of those they consider to be their brothers, symbolising the promise of love, unity, security and care.
The Hindu festival is considered to be an important one due to the values it upholds – of unity, respect, a sense of family and trust between two siblings. The long-standing tradition, according to popular lore, started out when Draupadi – the wife of the Pandavas – tied a piece of cloth on Lord Krishna’s finger, to stop him from bleeding during a battle with king Shishupal. Lord Krishna, touched by the gesture, promised to protect her against all dangers in the future. Closer in time, it is documented that queen Karnavati of Mewar sent a rakhi to the emperor Humayun, seeking help when the kingdom was under attack by Bahadur Shah of Gujarat.
In contemporary times, Rabindranath Tagore initiated a Rakhi Mahotsav in West Bengal, after the partition of 1905, as a way to bring together Hindu and Muslim communities, propagating secularism and counter the efforts of the Colonial ‘divide and rule’ policy. Traditional rituals of Raksha Bandhan involve a ‘pooja vidhi’ or ritual, where a thali containing an oil lamp, rakhi, mixture of vermillon powder and rice, and sweets are prepared by the sisters. Following this, the sisters perform an aarti, where the thali is waved gently in front of the brothers, as a way of driving away any negativity, after which a rakhi is tied around the latter’s wrist.
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In return, the brothers usually give the sisters elaborate gifts as a way of appreciation and token of love, promising to protect them against all troubles. Interestingly enough, in the Marwari and Rajasthani communities, a tradition known as ‘lumba rakhi’ is performed, where the sisters also tie a rakhi around the bangle of the brother’s wife – acknowledging her to be an extension of the sibling, while also taking into consideration the wife’s role in preserving the brother’s well-being. Like every other Indian festival, delicacies to celebrate the festival are also key for the full experience. Here are six dishes to try:
Lauki Ka Halwa
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Made by grating bottle gourd and slow-cooking it with a mix of sugar and mawa (milk solids), the melt-in-the-mouth lauki halwa is flavoured with aromatic cardamom and ghee. The luxurious Indian preparation that is part of the celebratory feast that happens after festive traditions are observed, has a sweet, creamy texture from the hours of cooking and tastes best when eaten hot.
Chandrakala
A Bihari delicacy similar to the gujiya, the Chandrakala derives its name from the half-moon shape that a flour casing stuffed with dry fruits, semolina and mawa is made with. Deep-fried and dunked in a saffron-infused sugar syrup, it is known to be a popular mithai, which also has a circular variation known as the Suryakala.
Puri-Chana
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Often turned to as the go-to savoury offering during a handful of important Indian festivals, deep-fried puris topped with spiced black chana is part of the host of dishes served during the Raksha Bandhan feast prepared for the brothers. The delicious savoury preparation is also a take on the classic chhole-puri, but has a dry preparation of kala chana instead of the chickpea curry.
Dal Ke Laddu
Known most familiarly as Ram Laddu, the dal ke laddu is made using a batter of ground yellow moong dal, radish and spices. It is then finished off with a smattering of tamarind chutney, a spicy coriander chutney and some more grated radish on top for textural variation. A popular street food in Delhi, the dal ke laddu is a delicious savoury preparation that can be enjoyed as a snack.
Kalakand
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This milk sweet, made by slow-cooking milk until it solidifies and set in a tray, is a barfi-like sweet that is cut into squares and topped off with chopped pistachios. Often times featuring on the aarti thali as the sweet, sisters feed to their brothers, this mildly-sweet delicacy has flavours similar to condensed milk. With a cheesecake-like texture, kalakand finds its native origins to be from the state of Rajasthan.
Malai Kofta
Known to be a show-stopping dish for Raksha Bandhan feasts, the malai kofta or deep-fried dumplings simmered in a tomato gravy is typically eaten with rotis or paratha. The koftas, made using a mixture of mashed potatoes, paneer and a medley of vegetables is a slightly sweet, tangy gravy finished with fresh cream – for a rich mouthfeel and creamy, firm texture.