Page 18 - The Indian EYE 091523

SPECIAL FEATURE SEPTEMBER 15, 2023 | The Indian Eye 18

TOWARDS BETTER LIVING

Rakhi Love: A Colorful Celebration

with My Little Superheroes

aksha Bandhan has always
been a special day for our
Rfamily. It is a day we dedicate
to celebrate the special bond between
siblings, fostering love, protection and
cherished memories. My dad is one of
ten siblings and Raksha Bandhan is a
time my entire family comes together,
strengthening our connections and
creating lasting memories of joy and
togetherness. As a mom of two boys, I
aspire to make this festival and tradi-
tion memorable for them.
It is August 30, 2023 - the morn-
ing of Raksha Bandhan, and I can
feel the excitement of this special
day. My husband, Mehul and I de-
cide to add a bit of a fun element to
this day. After the kids get ready, we
present them with a mysterious trea-
sure map, telling them that it leads to
a magical Raksha Bandhan surprise.
With curiosity beaming from
their faces, Moksh and Aayush hold
the map and start their adventure.
They giggle away as they follow the
trail of colorful footprints leading to
their first stop.
Their first challenge is a riddle
hidden under the sofa cushion. Me- brothers during Raksha Bandhan, With some help from me, Moksh ties bond they share, a bond that will
hul reads them the riddle and they symbolizing love and protection). I the rakhi around Aayush’s wrist, and grow stronger with each passing year.
work together to solve it, and the help them create beautiful rakhis for Aayush looks up at his big brother It is a day filled with love, laughter
answer guides them to the kitch- each other. It ends up being a cre- with a mixture of curiosity and joy. and traditions that we will carry with
en. There, they discover a box filled ative exercise that also strengthens Moksh feeds him a chocolate and it is us for a lifetime, and I couldn’t have
with delicious goodies – Cadbury their teamwork and bonding. a heartwarming moment I know I will asked for a more perfect celebration
chocolate (which always had a spe- Moksh and Aayush were so ex- cherish forever. with my two “ladoos”.
cial place in my heart during Raksha cited to tie rakhis on each other. Al- When it is Aayush’s turn to tie Although Raksha Bandhan is a
Bandhan), kaju katli (a popular In- though, traditionally, Raksha Band- the rakhi on Moksh he denies any special one-day celebration between
dian sweet made from cashew nuts, han is celebrated between a brother help from us. After waiting it out for siblings, the bond between siblings is
sugar, and ghee, and shaped into dia- and a sister, the essence of Raksha 10 minutes and offering our help re- not limited to just this one day. We
mond-shaped pieces), cookies and la- Bandhan is the bond of love, pro- peatedly, we convince him with an- are grateful for the exposure our kids
doos (another popular Indian sweet). tection and care between individuals other piece of chocolate that we can get at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan
With chocolate all over their fac- and we believe for this reason, it can do this together. He ties the rakhi on Mandir where the importance of
es, Moksh and Aayush continue their be adapted to suit any sibling rela- Moksh with some help from us and these festivals is shared along with
quest and follow the map’s queues to tionship. feeds him the chocolate as well. the values of love and respect that
the ghar mandir (a designated sacred Buried in their craft supplies was As Raksha Bandhan symboliz- are promoted.
space within one’s home, commonly another clue, that leads them to their es the bond of love and protection We can see the impact it has on
used for religious practices). There, bedroom. As their excitement can’t between siblings, Moksh asks if we our kids. When Moksh and Aayush
they find two little bags containing wait any longer, I dress them up in can tie the rakhi on our guru, His share these values and participate
craft supplies – beads and colorful matching traditional outfits. We dec- Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj as in spiritual and cultural activities to-
threads. We all sit down in our ghar orate a diya (lamp) and place it along- he loves us and always protects us. gether they are creating a deep bond
mandir room and ask them to pick side some sweets and their rakhis. We Moksh and Aayush jointly tie a rakhi as they navigate their spiritual jour-
their favorite colors and beads for explain to the kids that by tying these around the murti of our guru. ney side by side.
their personalized rakhis (decorative rakhis onto each other’s wrists, they As a mother, celebrating Raksha Tushar Solanki
and symbolic bracelets, traditionally are making a promise that they will Bandhan with my two toddler boys BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha
tied by sisters onto the wrists of their always love and protect each other. is a beautiful reminder of the strong

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