Dear Editor:
August 5, Wednesday was celebrated as Rakha Bandhan by Indians as their social festival.
This festival comes on Poonam, bright half of a lunar month of Shraran, the tenth month of Hindu calendar every year.
On this day a sister ties a Rakhi, a bracelet made from thread around her brother’s wristbands prays to All Might (God) to protect him from all sufferings. Nowadays some Rakhis are very costly because they are made of precious metal or pearls. Also she feeds sweet to her brother. The brother gives her money as per his financial capacity. A gift is never little if love goes with it. Every brother learns this custom from his childhood, which is a part of Indian culture.
The sisters who are not married they perform this custom in their parental family and the married sister goes to her brother’s house, where he lives, if it is possible. If it is not possible to go physically, the sister sends the Rakhi by mail. This festival is a symbol of true and holy love between brother and sister.
Bhikhubhai A. Patel