The festival is a Hindu festival and is also a secular festival which celebrates the love and duty between brothers and sisters. The festival is also popularly used to celebrate any brother-sister relationship between men and women who are relatives or biologically unrelated.[7][8]
The festival is observed by Jains too,[2] as a religious festival as on Raksha Bandhan, Jain priests give threads to devotees.[1]
The festival is also celebrated by many communities as a secular festival.[9] This secular aspect is observed among all people, irrespective of their religion, in West Bengal and Punjab.[10] Various fairs are held in Punjab to mark the occasion.[11]
On Raksha Bandhan, sisters tie a rakhi (sacred thread) on her brother's wrist. This symbolizes the sister's love and prayers for her brother's well-being, and the brother's lifelong vow to protect her.[12][13] The festival falls on the full moon day (Shravan Poornima) of the Shravan month of the Hindu lunisolar Nepali calendar.[14]
Raksha Bandhan is primarily observed in India, Mauritius and major parts of Nepal. It is also celebrated by Hindus in parts of Pakistan,[15] and by some non-resident Indians and non-resident Nepalis around the world.[16]