Overview
- Raksha Bandhan will be observed on Friday, August 28, and Drik Panchang places the Shravan Purnima tithi from 9:08 AM on August 27 to 9:48 AM on August 28, creating a defined morning muhurat for the thread-tying ceremony.
- Panchang guidance shows the Bhadra period ends before sunrise this year, which means devotees have a continuous morning window to perform the aarti, tilak and rakhi-tying rituals without waiting for any later auspicious hour.
- In Odisha, Gamha Purnima preparations include offering a specially crafted giant rakhi to Lord Jagannath on August 28, a local centuries-old tradition that involves Patara community artisans making large, concentric cloth rakhis for the deities.
- The festival’s social meaning and shopping patterns are shifting as people tie rakhis to sisters, fathers, friends and even pets, while shoppers favor modern, wearable rakhi designs such as bracelet-style bands and often prefer buying in person to judge comfort and quality.
- Spiritual and astrological guidance—ranging from treating the rakhi as a ‘Raksha Kavach’ to remedies like seating direction, tying on the right wrist and using alum—is widely circulated this year and is shaping how families prepare the ceremony and what they buy.