The great Indian Hindu festival of Raksha Bandhan is gearing near. The festival is observed on the full-moon day or Purnima in the Hindu calendar month of Shravan. This year it falls on August 22. Rakhi is all about the bond of love and trust between brothers and sisters and the name of the festival itself means ‘bond of protection’. The sister ties a rakhi (a sacred thread) around the wrist of her brother and prays for his long and happy life. In return, the brother promises to protect her from all troubles throughout his life.
This year Raksha Bandhan is celebrated on August 22, 2021. According to Acharya Indu Prakash, the Purnima Tithi for Raksha Bandhan 2021 will begin at 7 PM on August 21 and end at 5:31 PM on August 22.
This festival is celebrated on a full-moon day of the Shravana month in Hindu calendar. Before learning how to celebrate Raksha Bandhan, let’s know why it is celebrated in India. Raksha Bandhan has its roots in a popular incident described in Mahabharata. Once Lord Krishna was flying a kite and he accidentally cut one of his fingers on his sudarshan. Princess Draupadi then tore a piece of cloth from her saree and tied it around his finger to stop the bleeding. Krishna was swamped with this kind gesture and promised that he will protect Draupadi from all evils throughout his life.
Rakhi is celebrated grandly on the Indian subcontinent. According to Hindu norms, sister applies tilak on her brother’s forehead and ties a rakhi around his wrist, praying for a happy and healthy life. They then exchange gifts. Sweet dishes are cooked at home and people wear new clothes. People who aren’t actually brother-sister also celebrate the festival. They tie rakhi to their elder sisters or friends or distant relatives.
