I was back in office the next day after Raksha Bandhan when I noticed one of my female co-workers had multiple rakhis tied on her hand. Intrigued, I asked her why she had them on. She said this is called Lumba Rakhi. Our conversation from there was so interesting that I decided to write a post on this unique festive tradition.
Lumba Rakhi Tradition
Lumba Rakhi is a traditional custom in the Marwari community, originally from Rajasthan. On the day of Raksha Bandhan, the sister will tie a rakhi not only to her brother but also her sister-in-law (bhabhi). It is believed among the Marwari community that once the brother is married, the wife completes him, so the sister will tie a traditional rakhi to her brother and a lumba rakhi to her sister-in-law to take blessings from both. Lumba Rakhi is tied to a bangle and hangs like a pendant from the wrist.
But that’s not all. As our conversation proceeded, I learnt of another interesting and lovely tradition among the Marwaris. The older women such as bua (aunt) will tie a rakhi to a younger girl family member(s). She ties it as a vow of care and protection towards the younger girl, much like a brother’s vow. This explained why my colleague (among the younger members in her family) had rakhis on her hand.
Getting to know of a tradition where women tied rakhis to other women and took vows to protect, much like the brothers did, spoke of empowerment, as well as unconventionality. Notably, this isn’t a recent phenomenon but an age-old tradition among the Marwari community, followed till date.
I requested my colleague to allow me to share a picture of her with her family from the ceremony. I managed to convince her.
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Liked this post on Lumba Rakhi? Also check out….
a) Rajput practice of Jauhar among women of Chittorgarh
b) My guide to eating local food in Jaisalmer
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