India, Aug. 24 -- Raksha Bandhan 2026 raises an unusual question for families across India: What happens when the festival coincides with a lunar eclipse? For many families, the eclipse may raise questions about when to perform the Rakhi ceremony, whether traditional rituals should be changed and how Sutak should be observed.

This year, Raksha Bandhan falls on August 28 and coincides with a partial lunar eclipse. In India, the eclipse occurs in the early morning, with the partial phase beginning around 5:33 a.m. and ending shortly after 6:19 a.m. Exact timings and visibility can vary depending on your location.

The first thing to understand is the difference between astronomy and tradition. Astronomically, a lunar eclipse is a natural c...