Historians have also dealt a lot with the story of Rani Kanwarvati and Emperor Humayun. On the wake of a powerful Muslim invasion under Bahadur Shah, the Sultan of Gujarat, Rajput Queen Kanwarvati sent a Rakhi to Humayun to defend her from a possible catastrophe. The Emperor was quick to respond to the call of his sister and marched to save her with his big troops. Time went on and the tradition of Rakhi became stronger and stronger.

With the advent of Rabindranath Tagore on the global scene, Rakhi got a new meaning altogether. During the tragic partition of Bengal, imposed by the British authorities in 1905, this great poet swung into action. To generate a sense of universal brotherhood among the masses he suggested the use of the Rakhi Bandhan ceremony.  Such was the effect of this ceremony that the rich and the poor were united against the evil design on the part of the rulers to destroy the political backbone of Bengal. During the Utsav he received a rakhi from his aging sister Barnakumari and wrote the immortal song:

"Banglar mati Banglar jal"
(O lord may the Earth and water of Bengal be blessed)"
After Rabindranath Tagore, the festival of Rakhi went on from being a localized event to an all pervading ceremony with the nation coming under its fold. With time, new customs and traditions were incorporated to enrich this beautiful festival. Different forms of celebration emerged in different parts of the country.However, the main spirit of the festival never changed. It was, it is and it will be the celebration of the pristine relationship between a brother and a sister.