Raksha bandhan means “the bond of protection, obligation, or care.” On the festival, sisters tie a rakhi around their brothers’ wrists. The sisters receive a gift in return and give their brothers a share of responsibility for their care.
A popular story says that Rani Karnavati of Chittor sent a rakhi to the Mughal emperor Humayun to ask for his help. Historians such as Satish Chandra consider the story a fable.