NEW DELHI — Indian retailers and online marketplaces reported a sharp rise in Raksha Bandhan purchases on Tuesday, as families across the country began final preparations for the sibling festival that falls on August 8. E-commerce platforms including Amazon India and Flipkart promoted dedicated rakhi and gifting campaigns.

Raksha Bandhan celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters. Sisters tie a decorative thread, or rakhi, on their brothers' wrists, driving one of the busiest gifting periods in the Indian retail calendar. The festival spans sweets, jewellery, and courier services handling last-minute deliveries.

The Confederation of All India Traders has in previous years estimated festival-week turnover in the thousands of crores of rupees. Sweet shops in cities including Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad reported heavy demand for traditional mithai, while jewellers highlighted gold and silver rakhi variants amid firm precious-metal prices.

Logistics firms and postal services said they had ramped up capacity to ensure rakhis reached siblings abroad and in distant states before Saturday. Consumer advocates cautioned shoppers against fraudulent apps and fake delivery links, echoing recent warnings after online trading and payment scams reported in Gujarat.

Astrologers and temple authorities were expected to publish the auspicious timing, or shubh muhurat, for tying the rakhi in the coming days, guiding families on the ritual's observance on August 8.