India is a land of rich cultural diversity. The different festivals celebrated, the numerous art and dance forms etc. are examples to this. Among the many festivals, a popular and loved festival is Raksha Bandhan.

Raksha Bandhan, literally meaning the bond of protection, occurs annually, on the full moon day of the Shravan month of the Hindu calendar. It is not restricted to Hindus and is also celebrated by Sikhs and some Muslims. The festival celebrates the bond between a brother and sister. It's signifies the sister's affection for her brother and the brother's vow to protect his sister. The most important event of Raksha Bandhan is marked by the sister tying a rakhi(sacred thread) around her brother's wrist and the brother in return, gives her gifts. The tying of the rakhi is not confined to blood or religion, thus including male cousins or even unrelated boys and men, who are obliged to protect their sister.

This custom of Rakhi became popular in India when the Rani of Chittor sent one to the Mughal emperor Humayun, when she needed his help. It has appeared many times in the pages of Indian history, as rakhis were exchanged by great historical figures like Krishna and Draupadi, King Bali and Goddess Laxmi, Lord Yama and his sister Yamuna and so on.

Raksha bandhan is also known as Raksha Poornima; Poornima meaning full moon. Different parts of india celebrate varied forms of this festival. In south India, it is the day when the brahmin community performs the Upakarma, an ancient Vedic ritual.

These days, we see that Raksha Bandhan is celebrated by almost everyone, whatever may be their religion. It is a fine example of the deep roots of Indian tradition and shows us that relations are treasured in India. Thus, Raksha bandhan shows us the beauty, essence and inherent strength of a brother-sister relationship.