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Raksha Bandhan
Sisters tie a rakhi on their brothers' wrists, often in a new saree, and receive a gift in return.
What is worn for Raksha Bandhan
Raksha Bandhan falls on the full moon of the month of Shravana, in August. A sister ties a thread called a rakhi on her brother's wrist, applies a tilak, offers sweets, and he promises to protect her and gives her a gift. The thread can be a plain cotton string or an ornate one with beads. The day has no fixed saree, but women commonly wear new or festive clothes, and a saree is a frequent gift from a brother to his sister. In Maharashtra the same full moon is Narali Purnima, when coconuts are offered to the sea.
The sarees
Written by the EveryPallu desk with AI assistance. Background: "Raksha Bandhan" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Sari: Suyash.dwivedi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source