Raksha Bhandan is celebrated on the full-moon day in the month of Sravana (July-August). In North India, the occasion is popularly called Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi, the tying of an amulet. On this day, sisters tie an amulet, the Rakhi, around the right wrist of their brothers praying for their long life and happiness. Raksha means protection, and in some places in medieval India, where women felt unsafe, they tied Rakhi round the wrists of men they could count upon, regarding them as brothers.
The festival of Raksha Bandhan is similar to Karthikay in Kartika (October-November) in South India. On this day, sisters offer food to brothers to wish them a long life. The festival is an occassion to strengthen the bond between a brother and a sister. In South India, The Raksha Bandhan full moon day is a household festival for the men, where the sacred thread is ceremoniously changed.
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