Colourful threads of legend

Raksha Bandhan is associated with timeless myths and folklore about the sacred love among brothers and sisters, be they deities or rulers
King Bali and goddess Lakshmi King Bali was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu and urged him to safeguard his kingdom. Touched by his devotion, the Lord assented to his request, and left his abode Vaikunth for the task. After his departure, Vishnu's wife goddess Lakhmi was quite upset, as she badly missed him. She descended upon Bali's kingdom and sought refuge with him as a poor Brahmin woman. On the day of Shravana Pournima, when celebrations were rife in the kingdom, Lakshmi tied a sacred thread to Bali for the safety and well-being of him and his family and revealed her true identity, requesting him to relieve her husband of his duty. Touched by her goodwill, Bali asked Vishnu to return to Vaikunth to be with his sister. This is said to be the origin of the festival, also known as Baleva, to honour Bali. Santoshi Mata The birth of Santoshi Mata is a wonderful tale of men's desire for a sister. Story goes that Shubh and Labh, the sons of Lord Ganesha, were upset at not having a sister of their own, on observing Ganesha's sister tying a rakhi to him. "We want a sister too," they pressed. Upon their insistence, Ganesha created the goddess Santoshi by merging the godly flames of his wives Riddhi and Siddhi. Alexander and Puru Another interesting legend dates back to 326 BC and tells the tale of conqueror Alexander and the great king Puru of the Indian subcontinent. Puru's prowess on the battlefield was intensely feared and Alexander's wife was worried for her husband's life in the impending war. She heard of the tradition of rakhi in India and tied a rakhi to Puru. Puru at once realised her true identity. He asked her what she wished for, and she said she wanted him to ensure that her husband did not die. In the battle, Puru weakened all of Alexander's defenses and even broke his chariot, but did not grant the fatal blow out of respect for his sister. Krishna and Draupadi The Mahabharata bears an interesting anecdote of the love of Krishna and Draupadi. In his war with Shishupala, Krishna threw his Sudharshan Chakra at him and cut his finger in the process. It started bleeding profusely and on seeing this, Draupadi rushed to Krishna and tore a strip off her silk sari, wrapping it around his finger. Touched by the gesture, Krishna asked Draupadi how he could repay the favour, and she simply said that she wished he would always be a part of her life. In the time that followed, Krishna was a righteous protector and confidante of Draupadi, just like any brother should be.