Sudha Murty explains her Raksha Bandhan post after being trolled for it: The many stories behind Rakhi festival

Philanthropist, author, and Member of Rajya Sabha, Sudha Murty found herself in a controversy after she posted a video about a story behind the festival of Raksha Bandhan recently. Her post didn’t go down too well with many and Mrs Murty was trolled by netizens for her video. For the unversed, on August 19th Sudha Murty took to social media where she shared the story of Rani Karnavati and King Humayun.”Raksha Bandhan has a rich history. When Rani Karnavati was in danger, she sent a thread to King Humayun as a symbol of sibling-hood, asking for his help. This is where the tradition of the thread began and it continues to this day,” Sudha Murty tweeted, along with a video where she narrated the story.

In the video, she further says that when Rani Karnavati’s kingdom was attacked, she sent a small piece of thread to King Humayun– the Mughal emperor, asking for help and protection. Since Humayun didn’t know what it was, he asked his people who told him that this was the custom of the land– of a sister tying a thread on the brother’s hand. In this case, it symbolised as an ‘SOS’, and so King Humayun went to help Rani Karnavati. But by the time he reached, it was too late and Rani Karnavati was no more.
However, her post regarding the story behind Raksha Bandhan wasn’t well received by many netizens who contradicted with Sudha Murty’s views and instead said that its origin goes back to the Mahaharata. While one user with the name Candid_Shweta said, “At this moment I know u know nothing about Indian festivals and culture if u believe in this nonsense story. I’m sorry to have recommended ur books for kids. They don’t need to learn this manufactured story. Please read about Draupadi’s Raksha Sutra for Srikrishna and the significance of Shravan poornima.” Another user, named Sumedha V Ojha, wrote, “Sudha ji you are factually wrong. This is a made up story. Raksha Bandhan is a very old Hindu practice. Please read the Dharmashastras and Puranas.”

Considering the online trolling, Sudha Murty then took to X (formerly Twitter) to explain her Raksha Bandhan post. She said that Rani Karnavati and King Humayun’s story was one of the many about Raksha Bandhan that she had heard in her childhood. “The story I shared on Raksha Bandhan is just one of many tales associated with the festival and certainly not its origin. As I have said in the video clip, this was already a custom of the land. My intention was to highlight one of the many stories I learnt about when growing up, about the beautiful symbolism behind Raksha Bandhan,” she wrote. Mrs Murty further said, “Raksha Bandhan is a much older tradition that has transcended the time and culture of our beloved country, one that I am proud of and look forward to with affection for my siblings.”
The many stories behind the Raksha Bandhan festival

Raksha Bandhan is a Hindu festival that celebrates the beautiful bond shared between brothers and sisters. Some stories associated with it are:
1. Lord Krishna and Draupadi’s story
After Lord Krishna killed Shishupal, he was injured and one of his fingers was bleeding. Seeing this, Draupadi tore a piece of her cloth and tied it around Lord Krishna’s finger to stop the bleeding. Krishna was so touched by this gesture by Draupadi, that he promised to always protect her. And so, later when she was being disrobed by the Kauravas in the court, Lord Krishna came to her rescue– thus fulfilling the promise he had made to Draupadi.
2. Lord Vishnu, Goddess Lakshmi, and King Bali’s story
Another story associated with Raksha Bandhan and Shravan Purnima is from the Vishnu Purana which involved Lord Vishnu, Goddess Lakshmi, and King Bali. In this story, King Bali- who was a devotee of Lord Vishnu– was given the boon that Vishnu ji would protect him and his kingdom. For this, Lord Vishnu left Vaikunth- his heavenly abode- and resided on Earth. To reunite with her beloved husband, Goddess Lakshmi then visited King Bali and tied a Rakhi on his wrist during Shravan Purnima and in return, she asked for Lord Vishnu back– who was disguised as a gatekeeper protecting King Bali. Humbled, Bali then asked Vishnu ji to return home with Maa Lakshmi. Meanwhile, Lord Vishnu promised to return and visit him for four months in a year.
3. Yam and Yamuna’s story
As per popular legend, Goddess Ganga reminded Yam, the God of death, to visit his sister Goddess Yamuna and so he did. On seeing her brother after a very long time, Yamuna was very happy and she prepared various delicious dishes for him. To celebrate the day, she also tied a Rakhi (an auspicious thread) on his wrist. Happy and humbled by this gesture, Yam blessed her with immortality and promised to protect her.