🪢 Raksha Bandhan (Rakhi) Puja Vidhi — step by step
This is the household vidhi — the rakhi thali, the Bhadra-free time, the order of tying, the brother's vow.
How to do Raksha Bandhan (Rakhi) — the steps
- Bathe in the morning, new/clean clothes; the first rakhi in the home temple to God (Krishna/Ganesha/Hanuman), to the Tulsi and kalash; many homes remember the ancestors too.
- The rakhi thali: roli, akshat, kumkum, lamp, rakhis, sweets, coconut/shrifal, some money, raksha thread, sandalwood; red cloth on the thali.
- Time: after the end of Bhadra above, in the afternoon (Aparahna) or Pradosh; postpone if Bhadra — if Bhadra lasts all day (rare), in Bhadra-puchha or Pradosh on a priest's advice.
- The brother sits facing east/north, a handkerchief/cap on the head; the sister applies tilak (roli-akshat), does aarti, ties the rakhi on the right wrist while saying the raksha mantra ('Yena baddho Bali raja…'), feeds sweets, gives the coconut; the brother touches the sister's feet/places a hand on her head (if younger) and gives a gift/shagun, the vow of protection.
- If the sister is far away, the rakhi by post/courier — the brother ties it himself or the sister-in-law/mother does, aarti on a video call; the rakhi shown to God first.
- When to remove the rakhi: at least until Janmashtami or before Pitru Paksha; place it in flowing water/at the root of a tree or in the safe — not in the rubbish (many homes).
- Shravani Upakarma (Brahmin families): a bath in the river/at home in the morning, the ten-fold bath, rishi tarpan, a new sacred thread; the old one in water; Gayatri japa the next day.
- Evening: the family meal — kheer/sevaiyan-ghevar; the exchange of gifts between sister and brother; if the brother goes to meet the sister at her in-laws' — 'Salono' (some regions).
Puja samagri checklist
Rakhi, roli-akshat, lamp, sweets, coconut — the full list for the thali.
- Rakhis (for the brother, a lumba for the sister-in-law, for God), raksha thread (mauli)
- Roli, akshat (rice), kumkum, sandalwood, turmeric
- Lamp (ghee), aarti thali (brass), red/yellow cloth on the thali
- Sweets (barfi-laddoo-ghevar), mishri, dry fruits
- Coconut/shrifal, some coins/notes (shagun), paan-supari
- Gift/shagun envelope (from the brother), clothes/bangles for the sister
- Shravani Upakarma: new sacred thread, sesame-barley-kusha, Gangajal, panchagavya
- Nariyal Purnima (Maharashtra): a decorated coconut, flowers; Kajari Purnima: the barley kalash
Ghevar, sevaiyan, kheer, narali bhaat — the rakhi kitchen
Raksha Bandhan is not a fasting day but a day of festive food — ghevar-feeni in Rajasthan-Haryana, kheer-poori-halwa-sevaiyan in the north, narali bhaat in Maharashtra, Jhulan sweets in Bengal; the sister cooks the brother's favourite dish, that is the custom.
- Ghevar (Rajasthan-Haryana-Braj — the sweet of Sawan, malai/rabdi ghevar), feeni
- Kheer (of rice/vermicelli), sweet sevaiyan, halwa-poori-kachori, dahi-bhalle
- Narali bhaat (sweet rice with coconut, jaggery and saffron — Maharashtra-Goa, Nariyal Purnima), modak
- Laddoo-barfi-kaju katli, gujiya (some regions), coconut laddoo
- South (Avani Avittam): payasam, vada, poli; Bengal (Jhulan): sandesh-rasgulla; Bihar: kheer-poori
Rules — do's and don'ts
✅ Do
- Tie the rakhi only after avoiding Bhadra — this year's Bhadra time above; afternoon/Pradosh best
- The first rakhi to God, then on the brother's right wrist; say the raksha mantra
- A gift/shagun and the vow of protection for the sister; a lumba for the sister-in-law (Rajasthan custom)
- Remove the rakhi with respect — water/root of a tree/the safe; wear it until Janmashtami
- The sacred-thread Upakarma and rishi tarpan in Brahmin families; Gayatri japa the next day
❌ Don't
- No rakhi during Bhadra; avoid Rahukaal too (above)
- No broken/black/cheap decorative rakhi (some homes consider it forbidden) — a clean cotton thread is best
- Do not send the sister back empty-handed; no tilak for the brother with the left hand
- No throwing the rakhi in the rubbish; no quarrel between sister and brother that day
- Heavy plastic-foam rakhis in the market — choose safe ones for children
Vrat katha
Indrani and Indra: in the war of gods and demons Indra, king of the gods, began to lose; on Guru Brihaspati's advice Indrani (Shachi) consecrated a raksha thread on Shravana Purnima and tied it on Indra's wrist — Indra w… Read the full katha →
Frequently asked questions
When is Raksha Bandhan in {Y} and until when is Bhadra?
This year's Shravana Purnima date, the Bhadra Kaal (start-end) and the auspicious window for tying the rakhi are above for Delhi — tie after Bhadra in the afternoon/Pradosh; check your city's panchang.
Why no rakhi during Bhadra?
Bhadra (Vishti karana) is regarded as the sister of Shani — an inauspicious period; in the folk tale Shurpanakha tied a rakhi on Ravana during Bhadra and Lanka was destroyed. Rakhi and Holika Dahan are forbidden in Bhadra; some priests permit it in Bhadra-puchha as an exception.
If there is no brother, whom to tie the rakhi on?
On God (Krishna/Ganesha/Hanuman), the father/cousins, an adopted brother, or the raksha thread on any protector — a priest on the patron, a wife on the husband, a sister on a sister too; the root idea is the 'bond of protection'.
When and how to remove the rakhi?
At least until Janmashtami or before Pitru Paksha; after removing, in flowing water/at the root of a tree, or keep it in the safe all year and replace it with the new rakhi next year — not in the rubbish.
What is Shravani Upakarma?
The Yajurvedi Brahmins' wearing of the year's new sacred thread (janeu), rishi tarpan and the beginning of Vedic study — on Shravana Purnima (Avani Avittam in the south, on the Shravana nakshatra day for Rigvedis); Gayatri japa (1008) the next day. If Bhadra/an eclipse falls, the date changes — panchang/priest.
What is Nariyal Purnima?
In Maharashtra-Goa-Konkan on this same Shravana Purnima the fisherfolk offer coconuts to Varuna, god of the sea — the sea is calm after the monsoon, boats set out again; narali bhaat is made; rakhis are tied too.
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