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In pictures: The joys of Raksha Bandhan

We bring you glimpses of Raksha Bandhan celebrations in previous years from across the country.

Brothers tease and sisters scold, but on this one day in the year they come together to strengthen their bond.

Raksha Bandhan is observed on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Shravan and this year, it falls in August 13.

So come Saturday, women young and old across India will tie the sacred rakhi onto their brothers' wrists and pray for their long lives. And brothers will vow their eternal protection to their sisters, presenting them with gifts.

To mark Raksha Bandhan 2011, we bring you a few candid snapshots from previous years that capture the spirit of the occasion.

We start off with this endearing image of a little girl tying on a rakhi for her brother.

Out shopping

A woman looks at rakhis at a market in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh.

Preparing the threads

Indian Brahman boys prepare yagnopavits or sacred threads as they mark the festival in the city of Ahmedabad.

Browsing the streets of Kolkata

In this pic, a woman looks at sacred threads on the streets of Kolkata.

Across cultures

Again in Kolkata, a Muslim ties a rakhi on the wrist of Hindu man during Raksha Bandhan.

Curtain of colour

A vendor arranges his rakhi wares at a market in the northeastern city of Siliguri.

One for mother

A girl ties a rakhi on her mother's wrist to celebrate the festival in a village -- Lahree -- in the Jabalpur district.

A different kind of string

Workers preparing kite thread on the eve of Raksha Bandhan in Jammu.

Across generations

An Indian family celebrate in their living room.

All decked up

And finally, we have this image of a seven-year-old, Shilpi Das, tie a rakhi onto the wrist of a man in Siliguri.