Raksha Bandhan is remembered as a festival of brothers and sisters, but in many families the morning is not complete until a second thread is tied, a smaller and more ornamental one, and not to a brother at all. It goes to the bhabhi, the sister-in-law, and it is called a Lumba Rakhi. If you have ever seen a pair of Rakhis sold together and wondered why one has a long, hanging tassel, this is the one, and this is what it means.
What Is a Lumba Rakhi?
A Lumba Rakhi is the Rakhi a sister ties for her bhabhi, her brother's wife. The word Lumba comes from Marwari, the language of the Marwar region of Rajasthan, and it means bangle, because in the oldest form of the custom the Lumba is not tied to the wrist at all. It is fastened to the bhabhi's bangle, its decorative tassel left to hang like a pendant. That hanging tassel, heavy with beads, mirror-work, ghungroos or fabric flowers, is what gives the Lumba its name and its unmistakable look. It is meant to be ornamental, almost a piece of jewellery in its own right, and it is often chosen to suit the bhabhi as carefully as any Rakhi is chosen for a brother. You can see the range on our Lumba and Bhabhi Rakhi page.
A Tradition from Our Own Rajasthan
The Lumba is not a modern idea dressed up for online shopping. It comes from the Marwari and Rajasthani families of western Rajasthan, and it is one of the older living customs of the region. That happens to be our own ground. We pack and send every Rakhi from Jaipur, a short distance from where this tradition has been kept for generations, and where the artisans who make Lumba Rakhis still work today. What began as a Marwari custom has spread across the whole of India, and through families settled abroad it has travelled across the world, but its roots are in the soil we work from, and we take a quiet pride in sending it out from there.
Why a Sister Ties a Rakhi to Her Bhabhi
On the surface it is simple: when a sister ties a Rakhi to her brother, she ties one to his wife as well. Underneath, it says something more generous. It acknowledges that the bhabhi is now part of the brother's life and part of the family, and that the sister's bond with her brother naturally reaches out to include her. In the older understanding, the brother's promise to look after his sister is shared by his wife too, so the sister honours the bhabhi as an equal partner in that promise and blesses the marriage itself. It is, quietly, a thread tied by one woman to another, welcoming her in.
The Bhaiya-Bhabhi Rakhi Set
Because the two threads belong to the same morning, they are usually chosen together as a Bhaiya Bhabhi Rakhi set, a traditional Rakhi for the brother and a coordinating Lumba for the bhabhi. Many families complete it with the things the ceremony itself needs, which is why a Rakhi Pooja Thali often carries both a brother's Rakhi and a Lumba together, with the roli and chawal for the tilak. If your brother is married, a set is not really an extra. In most families that keep the custom, it is simply what the day expects.
How and When to Tie a Lumba Rakhi
There are no rigid rules here, because this is a tradition built on affection rather than regulation. Traditionally the Lumba is fastened to the bhabhi's bangle with its tassel left to dangle; many now simply tie it at the wrist, and either is right. It is tied in the same sitting as the brother's Rakhi, during the festival morning. In 2026, Raksha Bandhan falls on Friday 28 August, and the auspicious window is the morning only, from 05:57 AM to 09:48 AM IST, so the Lumba goes on alongside the brother's thread within that window. If your family cannot gather until later, tie it when everyone is together; the gesture matters more than the clock.
What to Gift Your Bhabhi
A Lumba is often given with a small gift of its own, and here you have room to be personal. Anything that makes a bhabhi feel seen suits the moment, whether that is jewellery or a bangle set, cosmetics, a keepsake, or sweets and dry fruits for the household to share. The Lumba says she belongs; the gift says you thought about her in particular. If you are choosing for the whole family, a single hamper that gathers a little of everything is often the easiest way to include her without singling out the occasion.
Sending a Lumba Rakhi from Abroad
If you live overseas and your brother and bhabhi are in India, the Lumba travels exactly as any Rakhi does. Choose a Bhaiya-Bhabhi set, add your message, and it is hand-packed in Jaipur and delivered free to their Indian address on the same timelines as any order. Our guide on how to plan your Rakhi delivery from abroad covers the timing, and you can start from the Send Rakhi to India page. For a married brother, sending only his Rakhi and forgetting the Lumba is the one thing sisters abroad most often wish they had not done, so if the custom is kept in your family, choose the pair.
A Few Common Questions
Is a Lumba Rakhi tied to the wrist or the bangle? Traditionally to the bangle, with the tassel left to hang like a pendant. Many families tie it at the wrist today, and both are accepted.
Can any sister tie a Lumba to her bhabhi? Yes. It is a gesture of welcome and affection, open to any sister in any family that wishes to keep it.
Do I still need a separate Rakhi for my brother? Yes. The Lumba is for the bhabhi, and the brother has his own Rakhi. They are usually chosen together as a Bhaiya-Bhabhi pair, and you can browse brother designs under Rakhi for Brother.
When is the Lumba tied in 2026? On the morning of Friday 28 August 2026, within the 05:57 AM to 09:48 AM IST window, alongside the brother's Rakhi.
However far the custom has travelled, the Lumba still does what it always did: it turns a festival of brothers and sisters into a family one, and it gives the bhabhi a thread of her own. Browse our Lumba and Bhabhi Rakhis, choose a Bhaiya-Bhabhi set for the pair, and send it home from the city the tradition came from.