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Family is really important to Hindus. The annual festival of Raksha Bandan celebrates the love between brothers and sisters. The word 鈥楻aksha鈥� means 鈥榩rotection鈥�, and 鈥楤andan鈥� means 鈥榯ie鈥� Vraj and Simran explain the festival, and show us what they do. 鈥淟ike any other brother and sisters, we argue, but we do care.鈥�
Simran shops for a Rakhi for her brother with her friend Bhargavi. Traditional Rakhis were made of thin cotton but today they can be very elaborate. Vraj will wear his rakhi until Raksha Bandan next year, so it matters that he likes his sister鈥檚 choice.
The festival is a day to dress up in traditional clothes, and an ancient story is remembered from the Hindu scriptures. The god Vishnu had gone to live with King Bali. Vishnu鈥檚 wife Lakshmi was sad about this, so she visited King Bali and tied a rakhi to him. When he asked her what she would like in return, she asked for him to let her husband come home. The meaning is about the generous king taught this brother to become generous as well. The meaning of the festival is to teach the whole world to be generous.
Simran put a tilak 鈥� a red coloured mark - on Vraj鈥檚 forehead. It鈥檚 made from water, rice and red powder. The tilak represents good fortune. She ties Vraj鈥檚 Rakhi on his wrist and prays for him, asking god to keep him happy and healthy in the year ahead. She feeds Vraj a sweet (he says it tastes like apple crumble). The festival is also time for brothers to promise protection and give gifts to their sisters: Vraj gives Simran nail varnish.