For the first time in nearly three decades, Raksha Bandhan this year will be celebrated on two days, owing to astrological confusions. While many sisters tied the sacred thread around their brother’s wrist on Tuesday, several others preferred to wait until Wednesday.
Explaining the reason for the two-day festival, Jairam Shastri, a renowned Mathura-based astrologer told The Pioneer, “This time the mahurat for Raksha Bandhan spans over two days. It starts from 10:14 am on Tuesday and will get over at 7:15 am the next day. This has happened for the first time in 27 years.”
According to the Vedas, Raksha Bandhan, the festival should be celebrated on the day of the full moon (Purnima) of ‘Shraavan’ month (as per Hindu calendar). “This time, the problem is that the full moon period began late. Ideally, the rakhi should be tied on Wednesday as it is astrologically a better day for this occasion,” said Shastri.
While most schools and offices remained closed on Tuesday, a few will be closed on Wednesday instead. “We were so confused about Raksha Bandhan this time. This has never happened before. My grandparents checked their calendar and it was showing both, August 20 and 21. But, when I checked Google, it was mentioned August 21. The confusion did cause a few troubles as my brother had to decide on which day to take leave from office,” said Tanya Rai, an IT professional. Shops, especially those selling sweets, gifts and rakhis, did brisk business.