Raksha Bandhan is a popular Hindu festival that celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters. Hindus in India and around the world celebrate Raksha Bandhan in lots of different ways. Raksha means 'protection' and Bandhan means 'to tie'.
Raksha Bandhan usually takes place on the full moon in the month of Sravana, which is a month in the Hindu lunar calendar. This means that the festival is celebrated at the end of August, as per the Gregorian calendar.
Raksha Bandhan is celebrated to remember an ancient story from a Hindu scripture called "The Mahabharata." Raksha Bandhan is dedicated to a
story about the Lord Krishna. Krishna had a strong bond with Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas. The story says that when Krishna had hurt his finger, Draupadi cut a piece of her saree, a traditional Indian dress, to tie around his finger to stop the bleeding. Krishna was deeply moved by this gesture, and he then promised Draupadi that he would always protect her. As promised, when an attempt was made by Dushasana to disrobe Draupadi, by divine intervention, Krishna saved her. Since then, Raksha Bandhan has become a promise of protection and safety and is celebrated as a festival.
The festival is celebrated differently in different parts of India. During the festival, the sister ties a rakhi on her brother's wrist, and the brother wishes that their sister is happy and also gives gifts to their sisters. The family does get-togethers, and they eat lots of delicious food and sweets.
A rakhi is a piece of thread traditionally made from cotton, but nowadays rakhis are very colourful with many different designs.
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