Long distance Rakhi celebrations

The custom of tying a sacred thread, embellished with lots of love and affection, by a sister on the hand her brother has prevailed since time
immemorial. As history has it, Rani Karnavati of Chittor sent a rakhi to Humayun, the Mughal Emperor, praying for protection against Bahadur Shah, an invader from Gujarat.

The festival of Raksha Bandhan is dedicated to the love and affection shared between a brother and a sister. On this day, the sister ties a rakhi on the wrist of her brother, with this the brother promises to protect his sister from harm. In return, the sister prays for the well-being of her brother.

As tradition would have it, a brother sister duo should ideally take time out to celebrate the day together. But with today’s changing lifestyles and increasing distances, this festival has turned long distance as well. Apt rakhi cards, virtual rakhis and E-mails, leaving Rakhi wishes on each other’s Orkut and Facebook profiles are increasingly becoming popular.

Although most siblings still try and get together on this auspicious day, but sometimes it may be impossible. As Ridhi Kanwar, settled in the US, puts it, “I would love to meet my brother on this day, but how does one traverse the distances?”

But more than the gesture, it’s the sentiment which matters the most, affirms relationship expert Anu Goel. She says, “irrespective of distance and one's busy schedules, one can bond with their siblings if one is emotionally attached to them. You don’t need a day or a reason to express your love for your brother or sister. The feeling of affection comes from within and should not be saved for a particular day.”

Echoing similar views, Manish Jha, a Delhi-based banker adds, “my elder got married about ten years ago and shifted to Bhopal from Delhi. Ever since, we never had the opportunity to celebrate the festival together. Although she religiously couriers the rakhi every year on the occasion, we definitely miss out the celebration part associated with this festival. But nevertheless, our sentiments are still intact. She knows that I will be by her side whenever she needs me.”

So does distance really affect the brother-sister bond? We explore ways to make your sibling feel special on Rakhi, if you’re away -

Internet to the rescue
In an age of technology, the internet can play a vital role in diminishing physical distance and bring two individuals closer. Mahima Chawala, who is the manager of web/wap portal, has a unique style of celebrating Rakhi with her brother who is settled in Australia. “On every Raksha Bandhan, I mail a rakhi to my brother and we make it a point to celebrate the day by video chatting and sharing the virtual gifts through Twitters."