Raksha Bandhan special: Temple in Bihar where 'Brother-Sister' are worshiped Siwan (Bihar): There is a temple in the Siwan district of Bihar where instead of deities, brothers and sisters are worshipped. There are banyan trees in the temple premises which are connected with each other. It is believed that the trees and the temple symbolise brother and sister.
On the day of Raksha Bandhan, which depicts the love between a brother and sister, in this temple, sisters pray for their brother's long life, and then the brother takes a vow to protect his sister. There is no statue in the temple, but an earthen body has been made, which the people call the symbol of brother and sister.
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'Bhaiya Bahini Temple' located in Daronda block of Siwan district is a symbol of brother-sister love. The village Bhaiya Bahini is named after the temple. There is a centuries-old story of brother-sister love behind the temple. According to folklore, to save the honour of two siblings, god himself had appeared. Since then, each year on Raksha Bandhan, a crowd gathers in this village to worship the brother and sister.
500-year-old tradition: According to the villagers, the belief that god itself came on earth to protect the duo is about 500 years old. Villagers say at the place where the temple has been built, a brother and sister had taken 'Samadhi'. There are many banyan trees in the temple, which are connected with each other and symbolise the love between the two.
"It was British rule at that time. A brother and sister had returned with a wedding procession. During this, the dacoits started committing atrocities. Brother and sister had buried themselves in the earth to save their honour. Since then, here both brothers and sisters are worshipped," a local resident said.
The villagers said that a brother was going to take his sister to her in-laws' place in Kaimur. That's why the dacoits surrounded both of them. The dacoits caught sight of the girl and started misbehaving with her. The brother tried hard to fight the dacoits but being alone, he lost his courage. After this, both the duo invoked God to save their lives.
The villagers added that to escape from the dacoits, who had come on horses, the two cried out to God and said, 'O Mother Earth, take me inside you, protect me'. "On hearing the call, god appeared and the earth suddenly exploded. The dacoits got scared seeing the earth bursting. The duo was freed from the clutches of the dacoits and got buried in the earth. The duo appeared in the dreams of the people. After this, the people of the village constructed a temple for both of them," another local Umapati Devi said.
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