Rakhri is the Punjabi name for Raksha Bandhan, on the full moon of Sawan. A sister ties the thread on her brother's wrist and feeds him a sweet; he gives her money and his protection. Married daughters come home for it. On the same full moon, Rakhar Punia, a great fair is held at Baba Bakala, where in 1664 the ninth Sikh Guru was found.
The story
The eighth Guru, dying as a child, had said only that his successor was at Bakala. Twenty-two claimants set up there. A merchant, Makhan Shah Lubana, who had vowed five hundred gold coins to the Guru if his ship survived a storm, gave each claimant two; only Tegh Bahadur, found in meditation, asked where the rest of the promise was. Makhan Shah ran to the roof shouting "Guru ladho re": I have found the Guru.
The day closes the month of Sawan, of swings hung in the trees and of Teeyan, the women's festival of song and dance.
How it is kept
- Rakhri bannhnaThe thread is tied with a tilak and a sweet.
- GiftsMoney and clothes for the sister.
- Rakhar Punia melaThe fair at Baba Bakala, with a political conference of every party.
- SweetsSeviyan, kheer and ghevar.
Why this date
Rakhri is the full-moon tithi of Sawan (Shravan). The thread is tied after Bhadra, the first half of the tithi, has passed.
Rakhri in other years
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Saturday | |
| 2026 | Friday | |
| 2027 | Tuesday | |
| 2028 | Saturday | |
| 2029 | Friday | |
| 2030 | Tuesday |
More Punjabi festivals
4 SeptemberJanam Ashtamiਜਨਮ ਅਸ਼ਟਮੀ
29 JulyGuru Purnimaਗੁਰੂ ਪੂਰਨਿਮਾ
14 SeptemberGanesh Chaturthiਗਣੇਸ਼ ਚਤੁਰਥੀ
25 JulyDevshayani Ekadashiਦੇਵਸ਼ਯਨੀ ਇਕਾਦਸ਼ੀ
19 AprilAkshaya Tritiyaਅਕਸ਼ੈ ਤ੍ਰਿਤੀਆ
19 OctoberDurga Ashtamiਦੁਰਗਾ ਅਸ਼ਟਮੀ
Where to see Rakhri
In Punjab
- Gurdwara Baba Bakala SahibPunjabThe Rakhar Punia fair, at the place where Guru Tegh Bahadur was revealed.
- Hall Bazaar, AmritsarPunjabThe city's rakhri market, crowded for a fortnight before.
- ChandigarhChandigarhSector 17 and 22 markets, in the week before.
Across India
- DelhiDelhiThe wholesale rakhi markets of Sadar Bazaar.
- HaridwarUttarakhandThe renewal of the sacred thread on the ghats.
- AmarnathJammu and KashmirThe pilgrimage to the ice linga ends on this full moon.