New Delhi: Sharing her knowledge about the history of Raksha Bandhan, has landed Sudha Murty, Founder-Chairperson of the non-profit charitable organisation Infosys Foundation, in trouble. She took to X to share a video about the tradition of the sacred thread, saying the tradition of tying a rakhi is rooted in a real-life incident.
In her video, Sudha Murty explained that in the 16th century, when Rani Karnavati was in danger, she sent a thread to the Mughal ruler Humayun, asking for his help. Since then, this tradition of tying the sacred thread on a brother’s wrist has continued.
The billionaire philanthropist posted a video saying, “Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi is one of the important festivals according to me where a sister ties a thread. It may not be a huge one but a simple thread indicating that in times of difficulties, you should always be there to help me.”
“It goes back to Rani Karnavati when she was in danger; her kingdom was small and attacked by somebody; she did not know what to do, so she sent a thread to King Humayun, a Mughal Emperor, saying that she was in danger, please consider me your sister, and please do come to protect me.
“Humayun came from a different country; he didn’t know about the thread. He asked the local people and came to know it was a call from a sister to a brother. He said okay, if that is the case, I will go and help Rani Karnavati. He left Delhi and went to her kingdom, but he was a little late as she was no more,” Sudha Murty added, describing the tradition’s history.
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. pic.twitter.com/p98lwCZ6Pp
— Smt. Sudha Murty (@SmtSudhaMurty) August 19, 2024
The video sparked mixed reactions from users. Many expressed mixed reactions and criticism, leading to a heated debate about the historical context and the tradition of Raksha Bandhan.
Reacting to the video, an X user, Candid Shweta, commented, “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, Anu Satheesh, commented, “It’s a real surprise for me that you as a writer is telling this crap. Raksha Bandhan is related with Krishna & Draupati. Please educate yourself,”.
A third user, D Prasanth Nair, commented, “With absolute respect Madam, the origin of Raksha Bandhan dates back to the Mahabharata times,”.
