Raksha Bandhan 2026 will be celebrated on August 28. The most auspicious time to tie Rakhi is from 5:57 AM to 9:48 AM, while Rahu Kaal will be from 10:46 AM to 12:22 PM.

Raksha Bandhan, the festival celebrating the bond between brothers and sisters, will be observed on Friday, August 28, 2026. The festival is celebrated on the day of Shravan Shukla Purnima, but this year the timing of the Purnima tithi has led to confusion over the exact date and auspicious time for tying Rakhi.

According to the Panchang details, the Shravan Shukla Purnima tithi begins at 9:08 AM on August 27 and ends at 9:48 AM on August 28. Raksha Bandhan will therefore be celebrated on August 28.

Raksha Bandhan 2026 shubh muhurat

The most auspicious period for tying Rakhi on August 28 is 5:57 AM to 9:48 AM. This period continues until the end of the Purnima tithi.

There will also be an Abhijit Muhurat from 11:56 AM to 12:48 PM, which is another favourable period mentioned for tying Rakhi.

Rahu Kaal on Raksha Bandhan

According to astrologers, Rahu Kaal on August 28 will be from 10:46 AM to 12:22 PM. Traditionally, Rakhi is advised to be avoided during this period.

Apart from Rahu Kaal, Rakhi can be tied during the day.

Is there a lunar eclipse on Raksha Bandhan?

A lunar eclipse is also associated with August 28, leading to questions about whether it will affect Raksha Bandhan rituals in India.

Lunar eclipse will not be visible in India, and therefore it will not be considered applicable there for the traditional observance discussed in the article.

How to tie Rakhi on Raksha Bandhan

For the Raksha Bandhan ritual, the Puja thali can include roli, sandalwood, rice grains (akshat), curd, Raksha Sutra, sweets and a ghee lamp.

As per the ritual first offer the Raksha Sutra and Puja thali to God. The brother is then seated facing east or north, followed by applying a tilak, tying the Rakhi and performing the aarti. The ritual is completed by offering sweets and seeking blessings from elders.

Kaziah Liz Mejo has been crowned Miss Universe India 2026, becoming the first Keralite to win the national title. The 19-year-old law student and model from Mavelikkara, Kerala, won the crown at the pageant finale in Jaipur on Sunday.

With the victory, Kaziah Liz Mejo will now represent India at the 75th Miss Universe pageant, which is scheduled to take place in Puerto Rico in November. She emerged as the winner after competing against 52 other finalists. 

Who is Kaziah Liz Mejo?

Kaziah Liz Mejo is a law student and model from Mavelikkara, Kerala. Although her latest victory has brought her national attention, she already had experience in beauty pageants before winning the Miss Universe India 2026 crown.

She won the Miss Teen Diva 2024 title at the age of 17. In 2025, she represented India at Miss Teen International and finished as the first runner-up. Earlier in 2026, she also won the Miss Universe Kerala title and became the youngest state titleholder.

Her latest achievement has added another milestone to her pageant journey, as she is the first Keralite to win the Miss Universe India title.

Kaziah Liz Mejo grew up in Abu Dhabi

Born in 2007, Kaziah spent her childhood in Abu Dhabi, UAE. She studied at Emirates National School, St Joseph’s School and Abu Dhabi Indian School.

She is currently pursuing law alongside her modelling career. Her interests also extend beyond academics and pageantry.

According to information cited from the Miss Teen Diva website, Kaziah has trained in classical dance for 12 years. She also sings and plays the drums and violin. She has explored public speaking and acting as well.

Kaziah also made her acting debut with the Malayalam film Shylock.

Kaziah Liz Mejo’s pageant journey

Kaziah’s Miss Universe India 2026 victory follows several achievements in the pageant circuit. After winning Miss Teen Diva 2024, she went on to represent India at Miss Teen International 2025, where she finished as the first runner-up.

Her 2026 journey continued with the Miss Universe Kerala title before she competed at the national pageant in Jaipur.

The finale jury included former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen, who led the panel. Former Miss Universe India winners Urvashi Rautela and Celina Jaitley were also part of the judging panel.

Who were the runners-up?

Vaishnavi Gannesh from Tamil Nadu was named the first runner-up and also won the Miss International India 2026 title, while Gujarat’s Anushri Satavlekar finished as the second runner-up. 

Kaziah was crowned by last year’s Miss Universe India winner Manika Vishwakarma, who had represented India at the international pageant.

What is next for Kaziah Liz Mejo?

Kaziah Liz Mejo’s next major assignment will be the 75th Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico. She is scheduled to travel there in November to represent India at the international competition.

Dhruv Jurel marked his century in the second Test against Sri Lanka with a special celebration, revealing a “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisaan” tattoo on his bicep in Colombo on Monday.

Jurel reached his century after spending 22 deliveries on 99. After taking a risky single to complete the milestone, the Indian wicketkeeper-batter punched the air, removed his helmet and revealed the tattoo as his teammates celebrated.

Jurel remained unbeaten on 115 off 177 deliveries, while his century also saw him achieve a unique feat in Test cricket in Sri Lanka.

Jurel enters record books with century

Jurel became the second Indian batter to score a century from No. 7 or below in a Test match in Sri Lanka.

His unbeaten 115 is also the highest individual score by an Indian batter batting at No. 7 or below in a Test in Sri Lanka, according to the provided match report.

The century also made Jurel the first Indian batter to score a century from No. 7 during a Test series in Sri Lanka. The earlier century mentioned in the report came from Hardik while batting at No. 8.

Jurel seeks Pant’s advice

Jurel also spoke about batting alongside Rishabh Pant and said he regularly seeks advice from the experienced wicketkeeper-batter.

Jurel said Pant’s experience makes his presence valuable, particularly because both players are wicketkeepers who bat in the middle order.

He also explained that he does not try to imitate Pant’s aggressive style. Instead, Jurel focuses on identifying which bowler to attack and deciding which spells he needs to negotiate.

Jurel said he dedicated his second Test century to his parents.

Jurel gives Pant fitness update

Jurel also provided an update on Pant after the latter was unable to take over wicketkeeping duties towards the end of the day’s play.

According to Jurel, Pant had taken a hit on his right shoulder and the team was closely monitoring his condition.

Jurel said he took over wicketkeeping because Pant’s shoulder was not in good condition and expressed hope that Pant would be fit the following day.