Indians predominantly are an agricultural community which is why the monsoon months of July and August holds special importance for Indians all across the country. In many parts of the country, people celebrate the Festival of Rakhi which captures the true spirit of India rich cultural heritage.
On the occasion of Rakhi sisters tie a holy thread around their brother’s wrist seeking their blessings and wishing them a prosperous life. The sole purpose of this ceremony is to uphold the peace and harmony all over the country.
Pavitrapana is celebrated by the Gujarati’s in the month of Sravan on the same day of Rakhi Purnima. On the occasion of Pavitrapana, people offer water to the Shivling in nearby temples and seek the blessings of Lord Shiva. It is believed that whoever worships the Lord on this auspicious day, is forgiven for all his past sins.
The Ritual of Pavitrapana
On the eve of Rakhi Purnima few twisted films of cotton is soaked in a mixture of cow’s ghee, cut, milk, urine, and excreta known as panchagaivya and then fastened around the Shiv Linga. This ritual of trying the thread around the Shiva Linga is believed to relieve a person from all his past sins. People in Gujarat believe that Lord Shiva is the symbol of destruction and he would demolish all types of negativity and bring prosperity on earth.
The History behind This Festival
It is believed that the history behind this festival was narrated by Lord Krishna himself which is equally fascinating in itself. The origin of this festival can be traced back to the story of King Mahijit during the onset of the Drapar Yug. The king was quite troubled for not having a son to continue his lineage, so after a decade he summoned a group of advisors and wanted to know the reason behind his sorry fate of not being blessed with a son in spite of not doing any harm to anybody during his lifetime.
Lomasha Rishi then immersed himself into deep meditation and told the king that he had done some very sinful deeds in his past life because of which he is not being blessed with a son. He also suggested that on the eve of Ekadashi call putrada in the month of Shravan all the king’s subjects including the king himself should fast and stay awake at night. If they successfully managed to observe is Ekadashi strictly the king and his kingdom would be blessed with an heir soon.
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