Raksha Bandhan, often shortened to Rakhi, centres on a simple rite: a sister ties a decorated thread around her brother's wrist, applies a tilak, and offers sweets; in return the brother gives a gift and promises protection. Over time the custom has widened to include cousins, friends and figures of respect, and the thread has become a general token of solidarity.
The festival falls on the full-moon day (Purnima) of the month of Shravana. The tying is meant to be done while Purnima is running and, as with Holika Dahan, outside the bhadra interval, so almanacs publish a permitted window that varies by city and year.
Practice is not uniform: coastal communities in the west and south keep the same day as Narali Purnima, offering coconuts to the sea, while in parts of the north and Odisha it coincides with Gamha Purnima and rites for cattle and for Balarama.