What goes on the Raksha Bandhan puja thali

Raksha Bandhan asks very little of the thali. A roli, a few grains of akshat, a diya, something sweet, and the rakhi itself. It is one of the shortest lists in the year, which is exactly why it is so often incomplete on the morning.

The five things you actually need

• Roli, for the tilak.
• Akshat — unbroken rice, mixed with a little water or haldi.
• A diya, and enough batti and oil to keep it lit through the aarti.
• Mithai, or anything sweet you can offer and then share.
• The rakhi, kept on the thali until it is tied.

The order it happens in

Light the diya first. Tilak, then akshat pressed onto it. Aarti. Then the rakhi is tied, the sweet is offered, and the rest is family.

Nothing on this list is expensive. The cost of forgetting one is a trip to the market in the middle of the morning.

What people forget

Almost always the batti, or the oil. The diya is remembered because it is the thing you can see; what burns inside it is not. Fresh items - flowers, fruit, a coconut - usually need arranging separately too.