I was in office the following 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, and she said this is called Lumba Rakhi for Bhabhi. Our conversation from there was so interesting that I decided to write a post on this unique tradition.
A Marwari Tradition of Lumba Rakhi for Bhabhi
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, 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.
