Raksha Bandhan , Celebrated on the full moon day in the Hindu calendar month of Sharavan, Raksha Bandhan is one of the most widely celebrated festivals of India.

It is a day that symbolises the sacred relationship between a brother and sister. Literally translated, raksha means protection while bandhan means bond. Raksha Bandhan, therefore, signifies the bond of love out which comes a sense of security and protection.

Raksha Bandhan also has a great history. Various stories have been passed on indicating the origin of Raksha Bandhan. One of them draws its origin from the Mahabharata epic. Once, Lord Krishna hurt his hand while fighting Shishupala, a man who had committed several heinous acts. When this happened, Draupadi, the wife of the Pandava brothers, rushed to cover the wound by tearing a piece of her sari and tying it around Lord Krishna's hand. In return for her kind gesture, the Lord asked what she would like.

Draupadi replied by saying she only desired His Divine presence at every moment of her life. From that moment on, Lord Krishna told Draupadi that He would be with her whenever she called out for Him. Much later, when the Kauravas tried to disrobe her in their court, helpless, she called out to Lord Krishna to save her. And in return, the Lord gave her a sari that was infinitely long. As a result, the Kauravas were unable to disrobe her and Draupadi was saved from being dishonoured.

The rituals of Raksha bandhan are not binding to brothers and sisters or members of a family alone and they transcend the confines of blood and familial relations as well. When a Rakhi is tied on the wrist of people close to you, it brings everyone closer so much so that everyone is the part of a secure social structure. It is thus that Rakhi Utsavs, too, take place where large gatherings of people from a society or community take part in Rakhi ceremonies.