kanpur rakshabandhan was celebrated with fun and on thursdaymarried women and young girls dressed up in best and henna designs on hands were seen enroute to brothers homes to tie rakhi the brothers visited the sisters in cases where the sister was unable to visit him many brothersister pairs were spotted at the markets the brothers were there to look for gifts for the sisters while the sisters were found searching the return gifts for bhaiya the sweets and bakery shops witnessed huge rush the festival symobolizes trust between sisters and brothers with a sister praying for the lifelong wellbeing of her brother who vows to help and protect her swati a class v student could not stop gushing after getting a box of chocolates from her brother for mitali this rakshabandha was a bit special as her brother settled in us came to india after three years it is going to be best rakshabandhan my brother came to celebrate the festival with me we have celebrated may rakhis together but its has been a long gap for me to tie rakhi on his wrist she said vishal took his younger sisters shikha and deepti for a movie and shopping i took my both sisters to watch kya super cool hain hum the evening was spent in shopping my sisters said that the dinner was the best part of my preparations he said for those who could not be with their siblings mails and phone calls started pouring in kanika whose brother is in bangalore said my brother works for an it company in bangalore he could not come and unfortunately even i could not sent him rakhi as it was late she said this ritual strengthens the bond of love between brothers and sisters and also transcends the confines of the family it wont be wrong to say that the fashionable friendship band in vogue today is an extension of the rakhi custom when a girl feels a friend of the opposite sex has developed a kind of love too strong for her to reciprocate she sends the guy a rakhi and turns the relationship into a sisterly one a senior citizen said