Rakshan Bandhan is a festival held in Hindu communities on the last day the Hindu lunar month in August. This year it was on 15th August, coinciding with Indian Independence Day. Ceremonies for both events were held at Elsa Primary School.
Raksha means ‘protection’ and bandhan signifies the verb ‘to tie together’ – ‘the bond of protection, obligation or care’. The eternal love of the brother-sister relationship is symbolized by a sister tying a rakhi (thread or amulet) around the wrist of her brother in order to pray for his prosperity, health and well-being. The brother in return offers a gifts and promises to protect his sister from any harm and under every circumstance.
The festival is also celebrated between brothers & sisters belonging to distant families, relatives or cousins and can extend to any type of brother-sister relationship between men and women who may not be biologically related.