Raksha Bandhan

Raksha Bandhan is celebrated every year on 'Shravan Purnima' (Full Moon Day of the Hindu month of Shravan), which generally falls in August.  It is also called Rakhi Purnima in most of India.

On the auspicious day of Rakhi, sisters wake up in the morning, take a bath, offer prayers to god and visit their brothers to perform the rituals of Rakhi. The ritual of Raksha Bandhan essentially includes the tying of sacred thread by the sisters, on their brothers' wrists. Before tying Rakhi, the sisters would perform an aarti, apply tilak (by mixing rice grains and roli) on their brother's forehead, and then offer them sweets. 

History & Legends :

The Yamuna was the sister of Lord Yama, the God of death. On every "Shravan Purnima", Yamuna used to tie a sacred thread (Rakhi) to Lord Yama. Since then, it has become a tradition for sisters to tie Rakhi to their brothers on this day. Another incident from the epic Mahabharat concerns Krishna and Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas. She had once torn a strip of silk off her sari and tied it around Krishna's wrist to stanch the bleeding from a battlefield wound. Krishna was touched by her action and declared her to be his sister, even though they were unrelated. According to a legend, the Demon King Bali was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu had taken up the task to guard his kingdom leaving his own abode in Vaikunth. Goddess Lakshmi wished to be with her lord back in her abode. She went to Bali disguised as a woman to seek refuge till her husband came back.

During the Shravan Purnima celebrations, Lakshmi tied the sacred thread to the King. Upon being asked, she revealed who she was and why she was there. The king was touched by her goodwill for his family and her purpose and requested the Lord to accompany her. He sacrificed all he had for the Lord and his devoted wife. This thread was yellow which made yellow Raksha Bandhan popular among brothers and sisters.

Thus, devotion to the Lord. It is said that since then it has been a tradition to invite sisters in Shravan Purnima for the thread-tying ceremony or the Raksha Bandhan.

Different Names of Rakhi :

• In the northern and western parts of India, Raksha Bandhan is also called "Rakhi Purnima".
• In the Western Ghats and the adjoining regions Rakhi is called "Nariyal Purnima" to signify the full moon-like coconut.
• In the southern part of India Raksha Bandhan is celebrated as "Avani Avittam / Upakarmam
• Central India celebrates Rakhi as "Kajari Purnima".
• Raksha Bandhan is celebrated by the name of Pavitrapana in Western  India.

2024 Date: August 19.