Raksha Bandhan

Practice

The festival celebrates the affection between brother and sister. Sisters tie a rakhee (coloured thread) around their brothers' wrists, to keep away evil influences. Brothers give gifts in return. Siblings often travel great distances, if required, for the rakhee ceremony to take place.

The rakhee is such a powerful symbol of sisterly affection that if a woman tied a rakhee on a man unrelated to her by blood, that sufficed to establish the bond between them as sibling affection. The day is also set aside for the Brahmin to change his sacred thread.

Time: The fifteenth day of Shravan, in July / August

Place: North India.