Colonial Discourse and the Suffering of Indian American Children is now freely available.
Colonial Discourse and the Suffering of Indian American Children Book Cover.webp

In this book, we analyze the psycho-social consequences faced by Indian American children after exposure to the school textbook discourse on Hinduism and ancient India. We demonstrate that there is an intimate connection—an almost exact correspondence—between James Mill’s colonial-racist discourse (Mill was the head of the British East India Company) and the current school textbook discourse. This racist discourse, camouflaged under the cover of political correctness, produces the same psychological impacts on Indian American children that racism typically causes: shame, inferiority, embarrassment, identity confusion, assimilation, and a phenomenon akin to racelessness, where children dissociate from the traditions and culture of their ancestors.


This book is the result of four years of rigorous research and academic peer-review, reflecting our ongoing commitment at Hindupedia to challenge the representation of Hindu Dharma within academia.

Raksābandhana

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Raksābandhana literally means ‘tying the amulet of protection’.

Origin of Raksābandhana Festival[edit]

The purāṇas describe how Indra, the king of the gods, who had been languishing after a particularly humiliating defeat by the hands of asuras or demons, was able to regain his sovereignty due to the power of the amulet tied on his hand by his queen Sacīdevī after some austerities. This was the beginning of the Rakṣābandhana festival.

Raksābandhana

Tying Rākhīs[edit]

The rakṣās or rākhīs are prepared out of golden or yellow threads with amulets. They are first worshiped and then tied on the right hand. This tying may be done by priests who should be offered some money as dakṣiṇā[1] or by one’s sisters or even by sisterly ladies. The brothers should offer them some presents on the occasion.

Mantra while Tying Rākhīs[edit]

The famous mantra uttered on this occasion seeks protection from it. It is:

yena baddho ball rājā dānavendro mahābalah I tena tvām abhibadhnāmi rakse mā cala mā cala II.

It infers that:

‘I tie on you that whereby Bali, the very powerful king of demons, was bound. O protective amulet! Don’t slip off, Don’t slip off.

Celebration in West India[edit]

On this day, people of all religions on the west coast offer flowers and coconuts to the sea. It is a prayer and a request to make the sea voyage for merchant-vessels, safe and smooth.


References[edit]

  1. ↑ Dakṣiṇā means fees.
  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore

Contributors to this article

Deval Sancheti

Explore Other Articles

Retrieved from "https://hindupedia.com/index.php?title=Raksābandhana&oldid=135505"