Man sells colourful Rakhis on eve of Raksha Bandhan in Delhi

From the archive record

A seller display colourful rakhis of different styles on eve of Raksha Bandhan day on Delhi streets. Raksha Bandhan is a Hindu festival that celebrates the love and duty between brothers and sisters. 'Raksha Bandhan' or 'Rakhi' is a special occasion to celebrate this emotional bonding by tying a holy thread around the wrist. This thread, which pulsates with sisterly love and sublime sentiments, is rightly called the ‘Rakhi’. It means 'a bond of protection', and Raksha Bandhan signifies that the strong must protect the weak from all that’s evil. The ritual is observed on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Shravan, on which sisters tie the sacred Rakhi string on their brothers' right wrists, and pray for their long life. Rakhis are ideally made of silk with gold and silver threads, beau