The festival of Raksha Bandhan is known by the name of 'Avani Avittam' in Chennai and is regarded as one of the important festival of Hindus. It falls on the full moon day of Shravana which according to English calendar falls in the month of August. The day of Raksha Bandhan marks much importance for the Hindu Brahmins because on this particular day they wear a holy thread and also offer prayers to the ancestors.

The day starts with recitations of religious hymns and special prayers offered to God. Early in the morning, the Brahmins take a holy bath in river and then change the holy thread worn by them. They seek blessings of God in this way. This holy thread is also known as 'Janeyu' or 'Yajnopavit' and holds much spiritual importance for the Hindus. The entire ceremony comes to an end by the recitation of pious shlokas and prayers from the holy books.

Brahmins also take the vow of always respecting the riligious authorities and to adopt a good conduct in their lives. This festival is also given the name of 'Shravani' or 'Rishi Tarpan' and is regarded as a necessary occasion in every Brahmin's life. Every individual of Brahmin society make perfect use of this festival to ask forgiveness for his past mistakes and sins.

The ritual of removing the old thread signifies that as he has thrown away the broken and dirty thread and worn the new one, his past doing will not effect him much. During the removal of old thread, he is supposed to chant that as he throws away the broken and dirty thread, so may this new thread bring along a new and long life as well as Brahmana's brilliance. While the Brahmin wears a new thread, he is supposed to chant that the thread is inseparable from the Supreme Power and is highly capable of providing the blessing of long life.

In short, the festival of Avani Avittam signifies a new beginning of the Brahmin's life. The day is an occasion to offer prayers to the Lord Hayagriya who is known to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and gave the Vedas to the Brahmins.