Home › Festivals › Raksha Bandhan
Hindu festival · San Francisco Bay Area
Raksha Bandhan
Dates for the Bay Area
- Thursday, 27 August 2026Major festivalnext
- Monday, 16 August 2027Major festival
Why it matters
Celebrates bonds of protection, affection and responsibility, most commonly between sisters and brothers but increasingly understood more broadly as a family bond.
The story behind it
The rakhi thread is tied with prayers for well-being; traditions also connect the day with Indra, Krishna-Draupadi and other regional stories.
Prayers and worship
A short family pooja, tilak, tying rakhi, arati and prayers for mutual protection and well-being are common.
Fasting and devotional customs
Fasting and household customs vary; follow the temple or family tradition for this observance.
What is typically offered
Rakhi thread, kumkum, rice, sweets and lamps.
Visiting a temple that day
This is usually a family-centered observance rather than a long temple ritual, though temples may bless rakhis.
Spiritual themes
Protection, responsibility, affection, gratitude and family solidarity.
Request this pooja
Sri Kumar Gurukkal performs Raksha Bandhan observances at your home, at a temple, or with family joining remotely.
Request a pooja Add 27 Aug 2026 to calendarKeep this in your calendar
Subscribe once and every Bay Area festival date appears in your own calendar app.
Subscribe to the festival calendar Share on WhatsAppBhadra/Aparahna rules can affect ritual window. This date was validated against a location-specific Northern-California Panchāṅgam source. Dates are compiled for the Fremont / Bay Area location and checked against Northern-California Panchāṅgam references. They can differ from a calendar computed for another city or another sampradāya. Please confirm any date on which you plan a ceremony with Sri Kumar Gurukkal. How these dates are calculated →