Archive · 22 Aug 2026
Raksha Bandhan 2026: Eclipse Won’t Affect India’s Rakhi Rituals
Raksha Bandhan is a festival when sisters tie Rakhis on their brothers’ wrists.
In 2026, it will be celebrated on August 28.
A partial lunar eclipse will happen on the same day.
People in India will not be able to see the eclipse.
Because it cannot be seen in India, it will not change the usual Rakhi ceremony rules there.
No eclipse-related Sutak period is expected in India.
Bhadra will also have ended before sunrise.
In New Delhi, families are advised to complete the ceremony between about 5:57 a.m.
and 9:48 a.m.
Raksha Bandhan will be observed on Friday, August 28, 2026, during Shravan Purnima.
In New Delhi, the recommended Rakhi-tying window is approximately 5:57 a.m. to 9:48 a.m.
A partial lunar eclipse will occur on August 28, with its main phase scheduled from 8:04 a.m. to 11:22 a.m. IST.
The eclipse will not be visible in India because the Moon will be below the horizon during the relevant period.
No eclipse-related Sutak Kaal will apply in India, and Bhadra ends before sunrise on August 28.
- Who
- Sisters and brothers observing Raksha Bandhan in India.
- What
- Raksha Bandhan will coincide with a partial lunar eclipse that will not be visible in India.
- When
- Friday, August 28, 2026; the New Delhi Rakhi window is approximately 5:57 a.m. to 9:48 a.m.
- Where
- Raksha Bandhan will be observed in India; the eclipse will be visible in parts of North and South America, Europe, Africa and western Asia.
- Why
- The eclipse will not affect Indian rituals because it will not be visible from India, while the Purnima tithi ends around 9:48 a.m.
- Festival date
- August 28, 2026
- Festival occasion
- Shravan Purnima, the full moon
- New Delhi Rakhi muhurat
- Approximately 5:57 a.m. to 9:48 a.m.
- Partial eclipse
- 8:04 a.m. to 11:21 a.m.; maximum at 9:43 a.m., according to the cited timings
- Eclipse visibility in India
- Not visible because the Moon will not be above the horizon
- Sutak Kaal
- No Sutak Kaal will apply in India for this eclipse
- Bhadra
- Ends before sunrise on August 28