Raksha Bandhan is a Hindu Festival to celebrate the relationship between brothers and sisters. Raksha Bandhan means a ‘Bond of Protection’. The main ritual of this festival is tying the rakhi by a sister on her brother’s wrist. Then both of them exchange sweets.

It is not compulsory that Rakhi can be tied only to ones own sibling, but can be tied to to any male and adopt him as a brother. Raksha Bandhan is celebrated on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Shravana.

Sisters pray for the healthy well being and long life of their brothers and brothers in turn will present them with many Rakhi Gifts and promise to care them life long.

Raksha Bandhan is celebrated all over India with different customs and traditions. Rituals differ in north and south India. Rakhi Purnima(North India), Grahma Purnima (Orissa), Nariyal Purnima (western India and parts of Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Goa), Janyo Punyo (Kumaon region of Uttarakhand), Kajari Purnima (Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Jharkand and Bihar),  and Pavitropana (In parts of Gujarat) are the different names Raksha Bandhan is known in different parts of India.

In South Indian States of Tamilnadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Orissa, Shravan Purnima is celebrated as Avani Avittam.

Raksha Bandhan 2010 : This year’s Raksha Bandhan is on August 24, 2010.