In India Raksha Bandhan is celebrated

Indians believe that brotherhood can be not only by the proximity of blood but also by spiritual closeness. The holiday Raksha Bandhan was created for those who would like to ‘expand’ the borders of their families as this day a woman may ask any man to become her brother. If the man agrees, they attend the ceremony being dressed in Indian national clothes, particularly, men endue the costume called kurta while women put on sari. Before the start of the ritual it is accepted to ask the deities for the blessings that is why all the participants of the ceremony come to the bank of the river and throw coconuts in the water in such a way symbolically offering them to the god of water Varuna. After all the necessary prescripts are followed, women should tie the red thread on the man’s wrist.

According to Indian belief, afterwards the man is automatically considered to be the brother of a woman and gives promise to protect her whenever she needs help. In her turn, ‘sister’ is obliged to care for him as if he was her native brother. The ceremony is finished with the delicious food consisting of sweet and salty dishes prepared by women. According to the religious rules, after the end of Raksha Bandhan the man has to award his ‘sister’ with the first gift.

The celebration of Raksha Bandhan has been happening in India from times immemorial. In the periods of internal wars the thread called rakhi sent to the representative of agonistical side was able to stop the bloodshed. Alternatively, if people from the neighboring kingdom insulted a girl who had powerful brothers, the latest had right to start the war to defend the honor of ‘sister’ even taking into account she was not native for them.