Women, children across India gear up to celebrate Raksha Bandhan
Women shop for Rakhi ahead of Raksha Bandhan in Mumbai. Raksha Bandhan or simply Rakhi is a Hindu festival, celebrated in many parts of the Indian subcontinent, notably India and Nepal.
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Women shop ahead of Raksha Bandhan in Mumbai. Raksha Bandhan or simply Rakhi is a Hindu festival, celebrated in many parts of the Indian subcontinent, notably India and Nepal. Raksha Bandhan is a time to celebrate the 'bond of protection' between a brother and his sister. Getty images
School students dress up in traditional attire to celebrate Raksha Bandhan festival in Thane, Maharashtra. Getty images
An Indian customer gets her hand is decorated with henna on the eve of the Rakhi festival in New Delhi. During the festival, sisters tie a sacred thread (rakhi) around their brothers wrists, and in return the brothers vow to protect their sisters. Getty images
Widows celebrate Raksha Bandhan and show their "Modi Rakhi" during a function organised by Sulabh International at Gopinath Temple in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh. PTI
Women tie rakhi to Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on the eve of Raksha Bandhan, in Dehradun. PTI