Raksha Bandhan is celebrated across the world as sisters tie a protective thread around their brother’s wrists and the brothers vow to protect their sisters forever, while the thread tied around their wrists protects them too. The word Raksha means safety and security and Bandhan means a knot or anything that’s tied around and binds a person with a promise or connection.

There are many stories related to the love between brothers and sisters but this one is our favorite.

Picture this: It was circa 320 BC and Alexander the Great was trying to expand his empire to India. One of the things that stood in his way was the brave Paurava king Puru, and he fought back Alexander’s advances so furiously that Alexander was alarmed and decided to try another tack.

The legend goes that Alexander’s wife, Roxane had heard of the Rakhi festival, so she approached King Puru, tied Rakhi to him and asked him to spare her husband’s life in battle. As a result, when the opportunity came during the war, he refrained from killing Alexander. And so Raksha Bandhan helped retain Puru as a Macedonian satrap and might just have saved Alexander’s life.