Monsoon is an important season for Indian society. India, since ancient times, has been an agricultural country. Monsoon covers mainly two months of Hindu lunar calendar-Shravan or sawan and Bhadrapad. Although monsoon lingers through Ashwin, the core monsoon is compressed in the months of Sawan and Bhadrapad.
Sawan arrives with a string of festivals. Raksha bandhan and Narali Purnima are one of them.
Rakhi Purnima is the only festival in the world which celebrates the unique bond of brother and sister. Unlike same gender siblings, brother and sister have a bittersweet relationship.
Although they may love to kill each other for a bar of chocolate, they can also stand against the world for one another. Sisters never fail to provide moral support to their brothers and brothers make sure they feel safe in a selfish world.
Rakhi is a reminder for the siblings that they are chosen by the gods to enjoy a bond that few lucky ones are blessed with.
India is a land of diversity. Every festival here is celebrated uniquely in every region of India. Sawan Purnima is also observed in various ways throughout the India and Indian diaspora.
Sawan purnima falls on the August 9 2025
Raksha Bandhan Bhadra got over before Sunrise
The Shravan Purnima is popularly celebrated as Raksha-Bandhan or Rakhi or Rakhri . The festival is an observance of the bond of brother and sister.
Raksha bandhan comes from Sanskrit words, Raksha= Protection and bandhan=bond.
So it literally translates into a bond of protection. On this festival, married and unmarried women tie an amulet i.e. rakhi on the wrists of their brothers/cousins and receive gifts in exchange. Rakhi is a powerful reminder for the brother to fulfil his duty of protecting the sister/s throughout their life irrespective of being married or not.
In fact, traditionally, Raksha bandhan was an event which used to unite married siblings. Either the married sisters come to their brother's place or brothers go to visit the sisters in their husband's homes.
Raksha bandhan has Vedic origins but it has evolved with time. In ancient Vedic scriptures, there are many mentions of women using amulets or sacred threads to protect their male relatives, not necessarily brothers.
In Bhavishya Puran, Lord Indra was not able to defeat King Bali. So before the final battle, Shachi, Indra's wife ties a raksha sutra or thread on his wrist. The thread protects Indra in the war.
A story in Mahabharata mentions that Kunti tied a raksha sutra or thread on the wrist of Abhimanyu, her grandson, before sending him to the war of Mahabharata.
The same epic mentions an episode where Lord Krishna summons his discus, Sudarshan Chakra to kill Shishupal. During the execution of Shishupal the index finger of Lord Krishna starts bleeding because of the sharp blade of the discus.
The Pandava Queen Draupadi immediately tears a small portion of her sari to bandage Lord Krishna's wound. Then he promises her to protect her (honour) at every cost.
As a result when Dushasan forcibly tried disrobing Darupadi by undoing her sari in the Kaurava court, Lord Krishna saved her by extending the sari to infinity.
The story of the origin of Santoshi Maa or the goddess of satisfaction also mentions the festival of Rakhi.
According to the legend, Lord Ganesha was celebrating the festival with his sister Goddess Mansa. His sons, Shubh and Labh were fascinated by the bond of brother and sister. However they were frustrated that they have no sister to tie a rakhi.
They prayed to their father Lord Ganesha for a sister. Lord Ganesha created Maa Santoshi as a daughter for himself.
She tied the rakhi on the wrists of Shubh and Labh. Thereafter the siblings happily celebrated the festival with joy and peace.
Another popular Vedic story tells us that the mighty Vedic God, Surya Dev, or the sun was married to Sanjana Devi. She is the daughter of God Vishwakarma and the queen of clouds. They live happily with their twins, Yama and Yami.
Unable to bear the heat of the Sun, she asks her twin sister Chhaya or Shadow to replace her. One day, the cruel step mother curses Yama to go to the underworld. Pinned by the separation of her beloved brother Yami cries so much that a river Yamuna emerges from her tears. Finally with the intervention of the sun god. Yama comes to meet her after 12 years.
Then Yami ties a sacred thread on his wrist. Moved by the gesture, god Yama grants her the boon of immortality. He also promises to visit her regularly.
On the festival of Rakhi, both the siblings take a bath and wear new clothes. Sisters often adore their hands with henna to manifest success for their brothers.
The brother offers his right wrist to tie the amulet. After tying rakhi the sister puts a tilak on his forehead. A tilak is a moist and sticky mixture of water and kumkum. It influences the sun and enhances physical virility.
Then the sister applies akshat or unbroken rice grains on his forehead over the tilak. She also sprinkles a few grains over his head and shoulders. Rice grains are considered very pious in Hinduism. They are considered as the representation of Goddess Lakshmi. Grains of rice signify prosperity and abundance.
In Hinduism the glabella is the place of Ajneya chakra. Applying turmeric or kumkum influences the chakra. It enhances the intelligence and develops the traits controlled by Ajnaya chakra
Then the sister performs Aarti, which is a circular clockwise movement of a lighted lamp on a puja thali (plate).
Aarti is a Sanskrit word which has a prefix aa=complete and rati/rti= love. Aarti means complete love.
Aarti often signifies to stay in synchronisation with time. It signifies moving ahead in life.
Some Hindus believe that Aarti symbolises the movements of planets in the solar system. Aarti is a symbolic prayer to the planets to stay aligned for the success (of the receiver).
The sister offers sweets, usually homemade, to the brother. The brother ensures the sister has it too.. It signifies the sweetness of the bond. Some communities prepare traditional sweets for the occasion which include the seasonal flavours.
The ritual ends with brothers offering cash or gifts to the sisters. This shows that the brother has wishfully agreed to take over his duty to protect and cherish his sister forever.
The plate of Rakhi festival is an important part of the festival. People often use silver plates and bowls making the occasion even more auspicious..
It is decorated with all the essentials such as; rakhi, kumkum, akshat, lamp with a wick greased with clarified butter or ghee, and sweets.
Festivals are also a great time to ward off negative energy. In fact they are the special days to fulfil your wishes by following appropriate remedies.
If you are looking for help in your career, health, progeny and other issues, then get an online astrology prediction via astronumero consultation at Ekohumm.
Among the coastal communities of Maharashtra, Goa, Gujrat and other southern states this day is also celebrated as Narali Purnima. Narali comes from the Tamil word Narikel which means coconut. It is a native fruit to south India.
Narali purnima is considered one of the Rigvedic rituals which is continued till date. Rigveda is the oldest of four Vedas.
The fishermen community worships Varun Dev, the Rigvedic god of ocean and all water bodies. His blessings ensure the safety of sea voyagers. He is also the ruler of the West direction in Vaastu.
The Hindu scriptures claim that Varuna and God Mitra maintain the dharmic cosmological order in the universe. Varuna Dev punishes the sinners with his paash or noose.
The livelihood of fishermen depends on the sea. Shravan Purnima is the end of the heavier season of monsoon. During monsoon the fishermen cannot go to catch fish. From Shravan Purnima the fishermen can re-enter the sea to catch fish.
Before entering the sea the fishermen community worship Varuna Dev to bless them with a bountiful catch. They also ask Varuna dev to protect them in the rough waters of the ocean. Some communities also worship Indra Dev the Rigvedic god of rain along with Varun Dev.
Varun Dev is locally addressed as Darya Raja or the king of the ocean.
During the break of the monsoon season the fishermen repair their nets, boats, and other equipment. They decorate their boats with new paint, flags, and festoons. The married women wear traditional attire with ornaments and perform the worship of the tools of the trade. They offer coconut to the sea gods to express their gratitude and surrender.
Then the fishermen symbolically launch the boats in sea to mark the commencement of the fishing season.
Many traditional dishes such as Narali karanji and Narali bhaat are prepared for the feast. Narali karanji is a crescent shaped deep fried sweet. It is stuffed with grated coconut, jaggery, and dry fruits. Narali bhaat is another sweet dish made of rice. It is prepared by cooking rice with coconut, ghee and jaggery. Additionally, Narali barfi and laddos are also prepared to celebrate the occasion.
The day ends with merry making and rendition of folk songs.
Blessings of Gods can help us move ahead in life quickly. If you are interested to know which deity to worship, so that you achieve swift success in life. Consult Ekohumm for a horoscope birth chart reading.
We can conclude by saying that every festival is a reminder to thank the Almighty for his blessings. They also help us to keep connected with our roots.
A period of darkness doesn’t prevail throughout. Instead, it is replaced by a bright sunrise the next day. Our lives make a compilation of these dark and brighter days, helping us learn and grow with our experiences. Vedic Astrology, spirituality, numerology and coaching enable you to hone the power of optimism and triumph the darkness with a positive stride.
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