Raksha Bandhan 2027 रक्षा बंधन

Why Raksha Bandhan is celebrated

"Raksha" means protection and "bandhan" means a bond. On this day a sister ties a rakhi on her brother's right wrist, puts a tilak on his forehead and prays for his long life, health and success. The brother gives her a gift and makes a promise: he will protect her and stand by her all his life. The thread costs very little, but the promise it carries is the heart of the festival.

Over the years the meaning has grown wider. Sisters tie rakhis on each other, cousins and close friends exchange them, and many women tie rakhis on soldiers, police staff and community workers as a thank you for their service. School children tie rakhis on trees as a pledge to protect nature. Today the festival speaks of care and duty in any close bond, not only between siblings by birth.

It also keeps families together. Married daughters often go back to their parents' home for the day, and siblings who live in other cities or abroad send rakhis by post weeks in advance.

History and story of Raksha Bandhan

The idea of a protective thread is very old. In Vedic practice, priests tied a sacred thread, the raksha sutra, on the wrists of their patrons while chanting mantras. A verse still recited during rakhi tying recalls how such a thread bound King Bali, the generous asura ruler, to his word.

The Puranas tell several stories. In one, Indra was losing a long war against the asuras. His wife Indrani, also called Sachi, tied a thread blessed with mantras on his wrist, and he went on to win. Another story says Goddess Lakshmi tied a rakhi on King Bali so that he would free Lord Vishnu, who had stayed at Bali's palace as his guard. Bali accepted her as his sister and let Vishnu go home. A third tale is about Yama, the god of death, and his sister Yamuna. According to tradition, Yamuna tied a rakhi on Yama, and he blessed her and declared that any brother who receives a rakhi from his sister will be protected.

The best loved story comes from the Mahabharata tradition. When Krishna cut his finger, Draupadi tore a strip from her sari and tied it on the wound. Krishna promised to protect her, and devotees believe he kept that promise when she was insulted in the Kaurava court.

Later accounts add more. A widely told story says Rani Karnavati of Mewar sent a rakhi to the Mughal emperor Humayun seeking help, though historians debate the details. In 1905, during the protests against the partition of Bengal, Rabindranath Tagore asked Hindus and Muslims to tie rakhis on one another as a sign of unity.

How Raksha Bandhan is celebrated

The day begins with a bath and new or clean clothes. The sister prepares a puja thali with the rakhi, roli or kumkum, a few grains of rice, a small diya and sweets. Many families tie the rakhi in the afternoon after checking that the time is free of Bhadra, a period they consider unsuitable for the ritual, and they follow the local panchang for this.

The brother sits facing east, often with a handkerchief or cap on his head. The sister lights the diya and does his aarti, applies a roli tilak, presses rice grains on it, ties the rakhi and puts a sweet in his mouth. The brother touches the feet of an elder sister, gives her a gift or money and repeats his promise of protection. Where a brother lives far away, sisters tie the rakhi on his photo or send it with a card, and many first tie a rakhi on the family's Krishna or Ganesh idol.

Homes cook festive food such as ghevar, kheer, laddoos and puri sabzi, and relatives visit one another through the afternoon.

In many families, men who wear the sacred thread, the janeu, change it on this full moon in a ritual called Upakarma. They bathe, offer prayers to the sages and put on a new thread for the coming year.

Symbols, food and customs of Raksha Bandhan

The rakhi itself is the main symbol. In the past it was a plain red and yellow cotton thread, often called mauli or kalawa, and many families still tie this simple thread. Today rakhis come with beads, stones, zari, small idols of Ganesh or Krishna, and silver or gold charms. Children love rakhis with cartoon characters and lights, and eco friendly rakhis made of seeds or cloth are now common.

The puja thali carries the other symbols. Roli stands for blessing and good fortune, the rice grains (akshat) for completeness, the diya for light and protection, and the sweet for a sweet relationship. A coconut or a few flowers are added in some homes.

Food is a big part of the day. Ghevar, the honeycomb sweet of Rajasthan, is the classic Rakhi sweet across North India, along with kaju katli, besan laddoo, rasgulla and kheer. Many homes make puri, aloo sabzi and dahi bhalle for lunch.

The brother's gift completes the custom. It may be cash in an envelope, clothes, jewellery or a gadget, and more and more brothers now gift savings or insurance in a sister's name. Sisters who cannot meet send rakhis with a card and a box of sweets.

Raksha Bandhan across India

The same full moon has many names across India. Coastal Maharashtra and Goa celebrate Narali Purnima, when fishing communities offer a coconut to the sea before the new fishing season. In Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka it is Avani Avittam, the main day of Upakarma. Odisha marks Gamha Purnima, when cattle are decorated and worshipped, and Bengal holds Jhulan Purnima with swing festivals for Radha and Krishna. In Rajasthan, sisters also tie a Lumba rakhi on the bangle of a brother's wife.

In Uttarakhand, Kumaon calls the day Janopunyu, when men change their janeu after prayers. On the same day, the Devidhura fair at the Varahi Devi shrine in Champawat district holds the Bagwal, a ritual mock battle between four groups of villagers. It was once fought with stones, and today it is largely played with fruit and flowers. In Dehradun, Paltan Bazaar fills with rakhi stalls in the days before the festival.

Offices, banks, markets and travel during Raksha Bandhan

Raksha Bandhan is a restricted holiday for central government employees in 2027. Some states, such as Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, have kept it as a public holiday, so the status depends on where you live.

Raksha Bandhan falls on Tuesday, 17 August 2027. In the central government list for 2027 it is a restricted holiday, so central staff can take the day off from their restricted holiday quota while offices stay open. The Supreme Court and the Uttarakhand High Court are closed on 17 August 2027. State governments and banks usually publish their 2027 holiday lists in December 2026 or January 2027, so check those lists before you plan.

The 2026 pattern gives a fair idea of what to expect. On 28 August 2026, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh closed their state government offices for a public holiday, banks in Dehradun, Lucknow and Kanpur were shut, and schools in Uttarakhand were closed. Delhi and Bihar kept it as a restricted holiday for state staff, and it was a restricted holiday for central staff too.

Markets are busiest in the week before the festival, with crowds at sweet shops, rakhi stalls and gift shops. Post rakhis early, because courier and postal services get very busy. Buses and trains fill up the day before, as many married daughters travel to their parents' homes.