Hello! My name is Tara Ghose and I am a freshman in high school. Being Indian is a huge part of my identity. My mom and dad were both born and raised in India and migrated to the U.S. in the 90’s to pursue their love of education. They both make it a priority for me to experience the beautiful culture of India in the United States. My family and I incorporate parts of our Indian culture into everyday life by watching Bollywood movies on Netflix, eating delicious Indian food and listening to songs in Hindi almost everyday. I love my culture and I’m so happy that I am able to share it with others in ways such as writing about one of my favorite holidays!
There are many holidays that hold special meaning for those who celebrate them. One of my favorite holiday is Rakshabandhan. Rakshabandhan is a Hindu holiday that falls on a full moon in August. It celebrates the bond between a brother and sister. For the sister, it is a symbol of love and for the brother a solemn promise to protect his sister. If a girl has one or more brother, she ties a special tie around his wrist called a rakhi. This rakhi symbolizes the duty towards his sister. When I tie this for my two brothers, they also give me a gift of money as a promise to always protect and be there for me.
In my house we have a mandir, which is a small alter with statues of our Gods, devoted to the deities that we worship. On important days of the Hindu calender we put food and flowers on the mandir as our offering to god. After some time every member of my family eats some of the food that god has blessed. After god has blessed the food, it is called prasad. On special days like rakhi I feed my brothers prasad.
This holiday means a lot to me as a girl with two older brothers. It is a way of ensuring that my brothers will always be there and take care of me in the present and future.
My two brothers and I spending time with my Nani (maternal grandma)