Indians celebrate the bond of brothers and sisters in the Hindu festival Rakshabandhan
This festival is inspired by an ancient story about the Hindu god Krishna and his bond with a woman named Draupadi
Indian children show their rakhi on their wrists during the Rakshabandhan festival celebrations. Photo: EPA-EFELast month, Indians around the world celebrated the festival of Rakshabandhan. The celebrations show the love between siblings. Sisters tie a special thread called a rakhi on their brothers’ wrists. Brothers give gifts to their sisters.
The word “Rakshabandhan” is made of two Hindi words: “raksha”, which means protection, and “bandhan”, which means bond. It shows a brother’s promise to protect his sister.
Rakshabandhan is related to an ancient story about the Hindu god Krishna. Krishna had a strong bond with a woman called Draupadi. In the story, Krishna hurt his finger, and Draupadi cut a piece of her dress to tie around his finger. Krishna then promised to help Draupadi when she needed it.