Raksha Bandhan is a festival that celebrates the bond between a man and his sister. The sacred thread tied on his wrist, compels him to protect his sister and be there for her, whenever she needs him.

The festival celebrated on Shravan Purnima every year, has undergone a lot of change over many years. To start with, no one realized how and when the name Raksha Bandhan changed to Rakhi. Earlier there were many rituals associated with the festival. With time lot of them faded away owing to the ever changing circumstances.

Having said that we must acknowledge the fact that although the method of celebration may have changed, the essence of the festival still remains the same. Tying hand-made Rakhis was the original ritual. But today, beautiful designs have become easily available and you have a wide verity to choose from.

Same is the case with the gifts exchanged on Raksha Bandhan. The traditional gifts like a sari or jewelry are no longer given. These have been replaced by modern gifts like mobile phones, gift vouchers and other things.

The home-made sweets that used to be part of this festival are now replaced by chocolates and other desserts. It can also be observed that the celebration of this unique bond has now become virtual. Sisters send the rikhi online and receive a gift from their brothers in the same way. This shows how physical distances do not matter anymore. Though we observe so many changes in the celebration of Raksha Bandhan, brothers and sisters still eagerly wait for this day to express unconditional love for each other.

- Kruti Beesam