Avani Avittam Festival - Raksha Bandhan - Poonal Kalyanam

Avani Avittam is the exclusive festival for the Brahmin Community. This is the famous South Indian festival associated with the Hindu Festival which comes in the month of Shravan (August-September) and in the tamil month of Avani on the full moon day. The importance of this festival is that on this auspicious day, Lord Vishnu incarnated as Lord Hayagriva who is called as the God of Knowledge. Hence this day is called as Shravan Purnima, Rakhi Poornima, etc. This Avani Avittam festival is mainly celebrated in the South Indian States like Tamilnadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and in some parts of Orissa. In 2009, the Avani Avittam festival is observed on Wednesday, August 05, 2009. Also Lunar Eclipse will take place on this day.

On this special day, Brahmin boys are bestowed with the Sacred Thread which denotes the beginning. They remove the old thread and wear new one which indicates that they take away their old sins. So they first take a holy dip and wear a new holy thread called Yajnopavitam or Janeyu and offer libations of water to the ancient Rishis and elders. This ritual is called as Yagnopaveetha Dhaarana, Thread wearing ceremony, Holy Thread ritual, Sacred Thread ceremony, Holy Thread Upanayanam, (in Tamil: Poonal Kalyanam), Upakarmam, etc. Special Puja and Homa will be conducted on this occasion. Gayathri Maha Mantra is chanting on the day after Avani Avittam.

The North Indian people is celebrating this Shravan Poornima as Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi festival which symbolizes the sacred relation of a brother and a sister. Every sister tie the Rakhi band to their brother's hand and also other's hand if she treat them as brother to notify their sis-bro relationship on this Raksha Bandhan day.