The festival of Rakhi is coming this year on August 5, and UTSAV (www.utsavsarees.com) is geared up to help you find the right gift for your sister or brother.

Rakhi is short for Raksha Bandhan meaning “bond of protection” in Hindi. The festival celebrates the close ties between brother and sister, and particularly the brother’s role in protecting his sister. During the festival, the sister ties a rakhi – a sacred thread – around her brother’s wrist. The brother responds with a gift and a promise to protect his sister. The finest Rakhis are made of silk with gold and silver embroidery and ornamented with semi-precious stones.

Friendly ties
However, Rakhi can also be sent to friends and anyone with whom one has a close relationship. When a woman gives a man a Rakhi she is indicating her desire to have a friendly relationship. It may also be a polite way of indicating that she is not interested in a romantic relationship. Traditionally, when a woman sent a Rakhi to a man she was requesting protection from him as if he were her brother.

Rajput and Marathi queens were known to have sent Rakhis to Mughal emperors in times of distress. The emperor Humayan was said to have left the battlefield after receiving a Rakhi from Queen Karnavati of Chittor when she was attacked by Bahadur Shah of Gujarat. In olden times too, Rakhis were often sent to arrange marriages between kingdoms.

Rakhi is celebrated during the Full Moon of the month Sravana, an auspicious time known as the “Coconut Moon” in western India.

According to tradition, Rakhi was practiced long ago by the sisters of the gods Indra and Yama. The festival is considered sacred to the sea god Varuna, and thus various ceremonies sacred to that deity including the coconut offering and water festivals coincide with the event.

The tying of the rakhi is an auspicious event in which the whole family takes part. The sister and brother will traditionally feed each other sweets as part of the celebration. The sister will pray for the welfare of the brother, and the brother for the protection of this sister. Both will pray for the greater good in society. In different parts of the country, Rakhi is celebrated together with worship ceremonies that vary from one location to another.

Finding gifts for Rakhi at UTSAV
UTSAV offers a vast range of gift choices for Rakhi, all available for online purchase. The convenience of the web store allows a brother in the United States to choose a Rakhi gift for his sister in India. The sister in India can also use UTSAV to send a Rakhi to her brother in America.

A brother might want to browse through UTSAV’s collection of designer, wedding, Georgette and summer Sarees. You can also find Sarees categorized according to price. Or you can shop for Salwar or Lehenga Choli. If your sister is more inclined toward Western style clothing, UTSAV has a wonderful collection of fashionable and designer Western dress choices.

You can also find suitable gifts by searching through USTAV’s other online departments including Bags and Footwear, Accessories, Kids and Home Décor. If you really want to impress your sister, find a luxurious Rakhi gift from UTSAV’s jewelry collection that includes exclusive Indian necklaces, American diamonds, antique jewelry and gold bracelets.

UTSAV is a fast and convenient way to find the perfect Rakhi gift online. You can also rest assured in the security of our website, which is protected by both SiteSafe and McAfee security solutions. Please visit us and have a happy Rakhi!