Raksha Bandhan

When it falls

Raksha Bandhan is celebrated on Shravan Purnima, the full moon of the month of Shravan, usually in August. The rakhi is tied in the part of the day that is free of Bhadra; in years when Bhadra covers much of the Purnima, the auspicious window can be short or fall in the afternoon or evening, so check the Panchang before planning.

Raksha Bandhan dates in 2026 and 2027

Dates below are for New Delhi, from Drik Panchang. The exact rakhi muhurat, after Bhadra ends, is given in the Panchang for each city.

Year	Raksha Bandhan
2026	Friday, 28 August
2027	Tuesday, 17 August

What the festival means

Raksha means protection and bandhan a bond or tie. The sister ties a thread on her brother's right wrist praying for his long life and well-being; the brother promises to protect her and gives her a gift. Over time the thread has come to be tied in many relationships: between cousins, by sisters on sisters, to friends, to soldiers at the border, and, in older custom, by family priests on their patrons' wrists.

The stories behind it

• Indra and Shachi: the Bhavishya Purana tells how, when Indra was losing a long war against the asuras, his wife Shachi (Indrani) prepared a sacred thread with mantras and tied it on his wrist on the full moon of Shravan. Protected by it, Indra won. This is the oldest form of the custom: a raksha sutra tied for protection, not specifically by a sister.
• Bali and Lakshmi: after Vishnu as Vamana won the three worlds from the generous King Bali, he agreed to stay as the guard of Bali's kingdom in the netherworld. Lakshmi, missing him, came to Bali disguised as a woman seeking shelter, tied a thread on his wrist as a sister, and when he offered her any gift, asked for her husband's return. Bali kept his word.
• Krishna and Draupadi: a popular story tells that when Krishna cut his finger, Draupadi tore a strip from her sari to bind it, and Krishna repaid the bond by protecting her honour in the Kaurava court. It is widely told for Raksha Bandhan, though it is not found in the critical text of the Mahabharata.

The rakhi mantra and the raksha sutra

The verse most often recited while tying a rakhi refers to King Bali: it says, in effect, "with the same thread with which the mighty King Bali was bound, I bind you; O protective thread, do not slip, do not slip". It ties the custom back to the Bali-Lakshmi story and to the older idea of the raksha sutra, a consecrated thread tied for protection. Family priests in many regions still go from house to house on Shravan Purnima tying such threads on their patrons' wrists.

Rakhi in history: Bengal, 1905

When the British partitioned Bengal in 1905, Rabindranath Tagore called on Hindus and Muslims to tie rakhis on one another on the day the partition took effect, as a sign that Bengal's people remained one. Processions went through Kolkata with people tying threads on strangers in the street. The episode shows how the festival's idea of a protective bond could be widened far beyond the family. (A popular story about Rani Karnavati of Mewar sending a rakhi to the Mughal emperor Humayun is often told too, but historians regard it as a later legend.)

How to tie a rakhi

1. Prepare a thali with the rakhi, roli or kumkum, rice (akshat), a lamp and sweets.
2. Seat the brother facing east, with his head covered with a cloth or handkerchief.
3. Apply tilak and rice on his forehead and do a small aarti with the lamp.
4. Tie the rakhi on his right wrist, praying for his long life and well-being; many sisters recite the rakhi mantra while tying it.
5. Feed him a sweet; he gives a gift and blesses or promises to protect her. Sisters often fast until the rakhi is tied.

Other festivals on the same full moon

• Shravani Upakarma: brahmin men of the Yajurvedic and other traditions change their sacred thread (janeu) and renew their commitment to Vedic study; in the South this is Avani Avittam.
• Narali Purnima: on the Konkan and Maharashtra coast, fishing communities offer coconuts to the sea and pray for a safe season as the monsoon eases.
• Kajari Purnima and Jhulan Purnima: in parts of central and eastern India, songs of the rains and Krishna's swing festival end on this day.
• Amarnath Yatra: the pilgrimage to the ice lingam in Kashmir formally ends on Shravan Purnima, when the holy mace (Chhari Mubarak) reaches the cave.
• Hayagriva Jayanti: the appearance day of Hayagriva, the horse-headed form of Vishnu who restored the Vedas, is kept on this full moon, fittingly the day of Upakarma.

A thoughtful Raksha Bandhan

• Choose rakhis made of cotton thread, paper or seeds rather than plastic; seed rakhis can be planted afterwards.
• Distance is no barrier: a rakhi can be posted ahead of time and tied by the brother himself or by a family member at the muhurat, with the sister joining by video call.
• The bond is mutual: many families now have brothers tie rakhis to sisters as well, and sisters to each other; the promise of care runs both ways.

Frequently asked questions

When is Raksha Bandhan in 2027?

On Tuesday, 17 August 2027 in New Delhi. In 2026 it fell on 28 August. Check the Panchang for the Bhadra-free muhurat.

Why is rakhi not tied during Bhadra?

Bhadra (Vishti karana) is considered inauspicious for auspicious beginnings, and tradition holds that a rakhi tied during it does not bring good results. The rakhi is tied once Bhadra has ended.

On which hand should rakhi be tied?

On the right wrist of the brother.

Can a rakhi be tied without a brother?

Yes. Sisters tie it to each other, to cousins, to friends, and many offer a rakhi to Krishna or Hanuman as their protector.

Which story is behind Raksha Bandhan?

The oldest is Shachi tying a protective thread on Indra in the Bhavishya Purana; the story of Lakshmi and King Bali is also widely told, and the Krishna–Draupadi story is popular.

Should the sister fast on Raksha Bandhan?

Many sisters fast until they have tied the rakhi, but it is a custom rather than a rule.

When should the rakhi be taken off?

Customs vary: some keep it until Janmashtami, others until it falls off. It is respectful to place it in flowing water or under a tree rather than throw it away.

Can rakhi be tied in the evening?

Yes, if that is when the Bhadra-free window falls. When Bhadra lasts most of the day, the Panchang often gives an afternoon or pradosh (early evening) muhurat for tying the rakhi.