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Raksha Bandhan 2025: While everyone knows that King Dasharatha had four sons, Lord Ram, Bharat, Lakshman, and Shatrughna, very few know that the brothers also had a sister
As per scriptures, King Dashratha had a daughter who used to tie Rakhi to Lord Ram and his three brothers. (Local18)
The sacred festival of Raksha Bandhan, which celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters, is just around the corner. According to the Hindu calendar, it will be celebrated on August 9 this year. It’s a day marked by trust, love, and the promise of protection.
On this occasion, sisters tie a Rakhi, a sacred thread, on their brothers’ wrists, and in return, brothers vow to protect them in all circumstances.
But do you know who tied Rakhi to the four sons of King Dasharatha, including Lord Ram? When you must have heard and seen the tales of Ramayana, you might not have heard much mention of Lord Ram’s sisters.
According to religious texts, King Dasharatha and Queen Kaushalya had a daughter named Shanta, who is often overlooked in popular retellings of the Ramayana. Shanta was the elder sister of Ram, Bharat, Lakshman, and Shatrughna. As per scriptures, she used to tie Rakhi to all four brothers during the Treta Yuga.
Mahant Shashikant Das of the Ram Kachahari temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, confirms the existence of Shanta. He says that although she was born to Queen Kaushalya, Shanta was later adopted by Kaushalya’s sister Varshini, who was childless. This story is mentioned in some lesser-known texts and oral traditions.
Even today, the tradition lives on. Sisters from across India send Rakhi through the post to Lord Ram at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya every year. There is even a dedicated temple for Shanta in Ayodhya, and after the construction of the grand Ram Mandir, Rakhi is sent from there annually on Rakshabandhan for Lord Ram and his brothers.
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- Location :
Ayodhya, India, India
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