Raksha Bandhan

Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi is celebrated in the month of Shravan (or Saawan) on the full- moon day (i.e Poornima). Rakhi is celebrated all over India around the mid-august.

            In India, Raksha Bandhan is a festival which celebrates the bond of affection between brothers and sisters. It is a day when siblings pray for each other’s well-being, happiness and goodwill. Raksha Bandhan which means a ‘bond of protection’. “Raksha” means protection and “Bandhan” means bond. On the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, sisters visits her brother’s home and perform his ‘pujan’ by applying kumkum and rice grains on his forehead. Raksha Bandhan is all about sentiments, love and enjoyment. Like any other festival, rakhi has its unique significance.

Regional celebrations:-

There are various regional celebrations in other states or regions on the same day of Rakhi celebration.

S.  No.	Region	Regional festivals	Description
1.	North India	Rakhi Poornima	The word ‘Poornima’ means a full moon night.
2.	Maharashtra coastal regions	Nariyal Poornima or Coconut Full moon	Nariyal Poornima is an important for those who are dependent on the sea for their livelihood. On this day, people pay their respects to the sea god Varuna and offers him coconuts.
3.	Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu & some parts of Odisha	Avani Avittam	In south India, Avani Avittam is celebrated on the day of Rakhi. This festival is important for Brahmins. They first take a holy bath and then change their holy thread (Janeyu).
4.	Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar	Kajari Poornima	In Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar, Rakhi is known as Shravani or Kajari Purnima. Rakshabandhan here is an important day for farmers and for the sons in every family.
5.	Gujarat	Pavitropana	This is the day when people perform a grand pooja or worship the three eyed God, Lord Shiva. It is also the culmination of prayers done throughout the year.
6.	Odisha	Gamha Poornima	On this date, all the domesticated Cows and Bullocks are decorated and worshipped. Various kinds of country-made cakes called Pitha and sweets mitha are made and distributed within families, relatives and friends. In Oriya Jagannath culture, the lord Krishna & Radha enjoy the beautiful rainy season of Shravana starting from Shukla Pakhya Ekadashi (usually 4 days before Purnima) and ending on Rakhi Purnima with a festival called Jhulan Yatra. Idols of Radha-Krishna are beautifully decorated on a swing called Jhulan, hence the name Jhulan Yatra.
7.	Uttarakhand (Kumaon region)	Jandhyam Poornima	Jandhyam is Sanskrit for sacred thread, and Poornima denotes the full moon in Sanskrit. The people of the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, celebrate Raksha Bandhan and Janopunyu on the Shravani Purnima, it is a day on which people change their janeu (sacred thread). Punyu in Kumauni means ‘Purnima’ or full moon it is the purnima in which the sacred thread Janeu or Janyo is ceremonially changed. The Raksha Bandhan celebrations are similar all across North India. The thread changing ceremony is done all over India.
8.	West Bengal	Jhulan Poornima	Prayers and pooja of Lord Krishna and Radha are performed there. Sisters tie rakhi to Brothers and bestow immortality. Political Parties, Offices, Friends, Schools to colleges, Street to Palace celebrate this day with a new hope for a good relationship. Brahmins in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Konkan, and Odisha change their sacred threads on the same day (Janayu, called as Poonal in Tamil, Jandhyam in Sanskrit).
9.	Nepal	Janaeu Purnima	In Nepal, Raksha Bandhan is celebrated on shravan purnima. It is also called Janaeu Purnima (Janaeu is sacred thread and purnima means full moon). Janaeu is changed in this day, in Brahmins and Kshetry families. A sacred thread is tied on wrist by senior family members and relatives. Nepalese people enjoy this festival, eating its special food "Kwati", a soup of sprout of seven different grains.

In India, festivals are the celebration of togetherness, of being one of the family. Raksha Bandhan is one such festival that is all about affection, fraternity and sublime sentiments. This is an occasion to flourish love, care, affection and sacred feeling of brotherhood. Not a single festival in India is complete without the typical Indian festivities, the gatherings and celebrations, exchange of sweets and gifts, lots of noise, singing and dancing. Raksha Bandhan is a regional celebration to celebrate the sacred relation between brothers and sisters. Primarily, this festival belongs to north and western region of India but soon the world has started celebrating this festival with the same verse and spirit. Rakhi has become an integral part of those customs.