Festivals · 2027

Raksha Bandhan 2027: The Computed Date, Tithi and Muhurat

Raksha Bandhan 2027 falls on Tuesday, 17 August — Bhadra covers the afternoon of the 16th, so the rakhi is tied on the morning of the 17th. Shravana Purnima runs 16 August 10:29 AM to 17 August 12:58 PM IST. The afternoon of the 16th falls in Bhadra, when the rakhi is not tied, so the day is the 17th: tie it between sunrise and 12:58 PM, while the Purnima still holds.

Quick answer: Raksha Bandhan 2027 falls on Tuesday, 17 August. Purnima runs 16 August 10:29 AM to 17 August 12:58 PM IST, but Bhadra covers the afternoon and evening of the 16th, so the rakhi is tied on the morning of the 17th, before 12:58 PM.

By Dr. R.P. Sharma, Vedic astrologer since 1979 · timings computed on real sidereal positions

Raksha Bandhan 2027 falls on Tuesday, 17 August 2027: the rakhi is tied from sunrise until Purnima ends at 12:58 PM IST, because Bhadra covers the afternoon of the 16th. The governing tithi — the full moon of Shravana, when the rakhi is tied as a bond of protection — runs from 16-08-2027 10:29 IST to 17-08-2027 12:58 IST, computed from the ephemeris with the Lahiri ayanamsa, the way a Panchang actually derives it. The rakhi is tied on the morning of 17 August, after Bhadra and before the Purnima ends.

Why you will see two dates for Raksha Bandhan 2027

In most years the two rules agree and nobody notices. In 2027 they do not, because Purnima ends in the middle of the morning on the 17th.

The aparahna rule — and Bhadra. Rakhi is preferably tied in the aparahna — the fourth of the five parts between sunrise and sunset, which in north India falls roughly 1:43 to 4:20 PM. On 16 August Purnima runs through that window, but so does Bhadra: Bhadra (Vishti karana) occupies the first half of the Purnima, from its start at about 10:29 AM until before sunrise on the 17th. Vratraj, and the panchangs that follow it, are explicit that the rakhi is not tied in Bhadra, so the afternoon of the 16th is ruled out.

The second-day rule. When Bhadra takes the first day’s aparahna, Nirnaya Sindhu and Dharmasindhu move the observance to the second day if Purnima is still present for at least three muhurtas (six ghatis, about 2 hours 24 minutes) after sunrise. On 17 August Purnima lasts from sunrise (5:52 AM) until 12:58 PM — about seven hours — so the day is the 17th. This is why the panchangs print Tuesday, 17 August.

What to actually do. Tie the rakhi on Tuesday, 17 August, between sunrise and 12:58 PM, while the Purnima still holds and Bhadra is over. Do not tie it on the afternoon of the 16th (Bhadra) or on the afternoon of the 17th (the tithi has ended).

Computed from the Swiss Ephemeris: Purnima 16 Aug 2027 10:29 AM to 17 Aug 12:58 PM IST. Aparahna 1:43–4:20 PM both days, from New Delhi’s sunrise and sunset.

How this date is fixed

Hindu observances are fixed by the panchang, not by the Gregorian calendar — which is why the date moves each year and can differ abroad.

Raksha Bandhan 2027 muhurat (New Delhi)

Computed with the Swiss Ephemeris; published panchangs give the same Purnima window (10:28/10:29 am to 12:58 pm) and the same date, Tuesday 17 August. The afternoon rule would favour the 16th, but that afternoon is inside Bhadra, so the rakhi moves to the morning of the 17th.

Significance of Raksha Bandhan

The rakhi is a thread of protection: a sister ties it on her brother's wrist and prays for his well-being, and he promises to protect her. The tradition draws on several stories, among them Draupadi binding Krishna's bleeding finger with a strip of her sari, and Indrani tying a sacred thread on Indra before his battle. Because it falls on Shravan Purnima, the same full moon is also kept as Upakarma (the renewal of the sacred thread) and, on the coasts, as Narali Purnima.

On 17 August 2027 a penumbral lunar eclipse also takes place, in the daytime for India with the Moon below the horizon, so it is not visible here and no sutak applies to the rakhi.

How the rakhi is tied

1. The thali: rakhi, roli, akshat (rice), a lamp, sweets and a coconut or dry fruit.
2. Before 12:58 pm on 17 August: the brother faces east; the sister applies tilak, ties the rakhi on the right wrist with the mantra "Yena baddho Bali raja", performs aarti and feeds him a sweet.
3. The promise: the brother gives a gift and his word of protection; many families then share the day's meal of kheer, ghevar or the regional sweet.

Raksha Bandhan and the same full moon across India

• North India: Raksha Bandhan with ghevar and the rakhi thali.
• Maharashtra, Goa, coastal Karnataka: Narali Purnima, a coconut offered to the sea by fishing communities as the monsoon season at sea closes.
• South India: Avani Avittam (Upakarma), the renewal of the sacred thread by Brahmin families, on the same Shravana Purnima.
• Odisha: Gamha Purnima, with cattle decorated and the birth of Balarama celebrated.

Dos and don'ts for Raksha Bandhan 2027

• Do tie the rakhi between sunrise and 12:58 pm on 17 August.
• Don't tie it on the afternoon or evening of 16 August: that is Bhadra.
• Don't tie the rakhi after the Purnima ends at 12:58 pm on the 17th; the next day is not a substitute, so plan for the morning.

How the day is kept

Sisters tie the rakhi during the day's auspicious span — the aparahna (afternoon) window is preferred by tradition, and the Bhadra period, wherever it touches the day, is set aside first.

Why the tithi window matters more than the date

A Hindu festival is not a civil date; it is a tithi caught at a particular quality of time — aparahna (afternoon) here. When the tithi straddles two days, the rule decides the day, which is why two neighbouring calendars sometimes disagree while both cite the same sky. The window printed above is the actual astronomy; the rule applied to it is the tradition. Together they give you the answer the forwards never explain. For the method itself, see our muhurat & festivals guide.

See also: Pitru Paksha 2026 — dates and shradh vidhi.

Understanding 2027 Eclipse Impact on Your Life: Vedic

Correction, 25 September 2026: This page earlier gave Monday 16 August as the date. It is Tuesday 17 August: Bhadra covers the afternoon of the 16th, so the rakhi is tied on the morning of the 17th. An earlier question on this page gave wrong times for the 2 August 2027 solar eclipse; it has been removed. From India that eclipse is partial and in the afternoon — verified timings are on our Surya Grahan 2027 page.