*Raksha Bandhan* — the "tying of the protective thread" — falls on Shravana Purnima, the full moon of the lunar month of Shravana (typically August in the Gregorian calendar). At its simplest, a sister ties a thread (*rakhi*) on her brother's right wrist, prays for his welfare, and the brother in turn pledges to protect her.
✦ Mythological Roots
Several stories converge in the festival's lineage. The *Mahabharata* records that when Krishna cut his finger on the Sudarshana Chakra, Draupadi tore a strip from her sari and bound it on his wrist; Krishna pledged that he would repay her — a vow he later fulfilled at the dyut-sabha. The *Bhavishya Purana* records Indrani tying a sacred thread on Indra's wrist before his battle with Bali, securing his protection.
In medieval folk tradition, the festival took on the brother-sister form most familiar today. Rani Karnavati of Mewar is said to have sent a rakhi to Emperor Humayun, requesting his protection — a story whose historicity is debated but whose cultural reception is undisputed.
✦ The Wider Pan-Hindu Meaning
Beyond the brother-sister form, *raksha-bandhan* has a wider use. On Shravana Purnima the *upanayana* / *yajnopavita* (sacred thread) is also renewed in many communities. Priests tie rakhi-style threads on the wrists of yajamanas during yajnas. The thread is — in the older sense — a *raksha sutra*, a thread that binds a vow of protection between two people.
✦ A Simple Observance
- 1**Bath**, clean clothes, the family gathers in the morning.
- 2The **rakhi tray** is set with rakhi, roli (vermilion), akshat (unbroken rice), a small lamp, and sweets.
- 3The sister **applies tilak** with roli and rice, **does aarti** of the brother (the small lamp circled three times), and **ties the rakhi** on the right wrist with a brief silent prayer.
- 4The brother **gives a gift** — traditionally something useful rather than ornamental — and pledges his support.
- 5**Sweets exchanged**, family meal.
✦ When the Rakhi Comes Off
The rakhi is traditionally worn for the day of the festival and a few days after. When it begins to fray, it is gently removed and floated in flowing water (river, pond) — never thrown away with ordinary waste, since it carries a sacred intent.