Hindu festival
Raksha Bandhan
Also known as Rakhi.
Why is Raksha Bandhan celebrated?
In short
Raksha Bandhan celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters. A sister ties a sacred thread, the rakhi, on her brother's wrist and prays for his wellbeing; he vows to protect her and offers a gift. Held on the full-moon day of Shravana, it honours love, duty, and lifelong mutual care.
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Raksha Bandhan at a glance
- Raksha Bandhan 2026
- Thursday, 27 August 2026
- Tithi / rule
- Purnima (full moon) of the month of Shravana, with the rakhi tied during the auspicious window (avoiding the Bhadra period)
- Calendar
- Lunar calendar (tithi-based)
- Deity
- Vishnu
- Significance
- A sacred thread binding a promise of love and protection.
- Region
- Most widely observed across North, West, and Central India and Nepal.
Raksha Bandhan honours the bond of protection between siblings; the associated mantra below is a general invocation of divine protection, not a festival-specific one.
The story of Raksha Bandhan
The most beloved origin of Raksha Bandhan is the bond between Krishna and Draupadi, a widely-told account set in the world of the Mahabharata. As the story goes, Krishna's finger was cut and began to bleed. Draupadi, without pausing to think, tore a strip of cloth from the edge of her own sari and tenderly bound the wound. It was a small gesture, but Krishna received it as pure love. He promised that one day he would repay her, thread for thread.
That promise came due at Draupadi's darkest hour. This part of the tale is drawn firmly from the Mahabharata's Sabha Parva: after the Pandavas lost everything in a rigged game of dice, Draupadi was dragged into the Kaurava court and an attempt was made to strip her sari before the assembly. She called out to Krishna in despair. He answered unseen, making her garment endless, so that no matter how much cloth was pulled, she was never left exposed. The friend she had once bandaged now shielded her honour. This is why the festival is remembered as a bond of protection born from love rather than blood.
How is Raksha Bandhan celebrated?
A sister ties a rakhi on her brother's wrist and applies a tilak; he offers a gift and a pledge of protection; families gather and share sweets. The thread is tied during the day's auspicious window.
Characters in the story
A mantra to mark the day
ॐ नमो नारायणाय
oṃ namo nārāyaṇāya
I bow to Narayana (Vishnu), the refuge and resting place of all beings.
More Hindu festivals
About Raksha Bandhan
Why is Raksha Bandhan celebrated?
Raksha Bandhan celebrates the loving bond between brothers and sisters. The word means the tie or knot of protection. A sister ties a sacred thread on her brother's wrist and prays for his wellbeing, and in return he vows to protect and support her throughout her life.
What is the story of Raksha Bandhan?
The best-loved story tells how Draupadi tore a strip from her sari to bind Krishna's bleeding finger. Touched by her love, Krishna vowed to protect her, and later shielded her honour in the Kaurava court. The thread became a lasting symbol of protection given in return for love.
When is Raksha Bandhan celebrated?
Raksha Bandhan falls on the full-moon day, or Purnima, of the Hindu month of Shravana, which usually lands in August. The rakhi is traditionally tied during an auspicious window, and many families avoid the inauspicious Bhadra period earlier in the day when choosing their timing.
How is Raksha Bandhan celebrated?
A sister applies a tilak on her brother's forehead, ties the rakhi thread on his wrist, and offers sweets while praying for his long life. The brother gives a gift and promises lifelong protection. Families gather, share festive food, and the ritual is often extended to cousins and close friends.
Who is worshipped on Raksha Bandhan?
Raksha Bandhan centres on the sibling bond rather than a single deity, though it carries deep devotional meaning. Many households honour Krishna, remembered for protecting Draupadi, and some invoke Yama or Lakshmi from the festival's legends. Prayers for the brother's safety and long life are at its heart.
What does the rakhi thread symbolise?
The rakhi is a vow made visible. It represents a sister's love and blessing and a brother's promise of protection and lifelong care. In the old legends the thread grants safety from harm and even freedom from the fear of untimely death, so it stands for a sacred, protective bond between two people.
Is Raksha Bandhan only for biological brothers and sisters?
No. While it began with siblings, the festival celebrates protection born from love rather than blood. The Krishna and Draupadi story itself is about two friends, not siblings. Today rakhis are tied for cousins, close friends, soldiers, and anyone a person wishes to honour with a bond of care.
What is the connection between Raksha Bandhan and King Bali?
In the Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu stayed to guard the realm of the generous King Bali, keeping him from home. On the Shravana full moon, the goddess Lakshmi tied a protective thread on Bali's wrist and asked for Vishnu's return, which the noble king granted. Western India remembers this day as Balev.
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