Bhai Dooj is celebrated soon after Diwali and is a part of the five-day-long festival of lights.

Bhai Dooj is a Hindu festival celebrated around India, it is also known as Bhau-Beej, Bhaiya Dooj and Bhai Phota. It is observed during the Diwali festival and is the second day of the Vikrami Samvat, which is the Hindu New Year and starts from the lunar month of Kartika. The first day of this New Year is observed as Govardhan Pūja. The celebrations of Bhai Dooj are very similar to Raksha Bandhan, on this day sisters pray for a long and prosperous life for their brothers, andbrothers give gifts to their sisters.

According to Hindu mythology, Bhai Dooj is celebrated to commemorate Lord Krishna’s sister Subhadra’s loving gesture toward her brother. After Lord Krishna defeated Narakasur, Subhadra invited her brother to celebrate his victory, she applied tilak on his forehead and performed aarti, Lord Krishna was so pleased by his sister’s gestures that he blessed her with plentiful boons.

According to another story, the festival is associated with Yamraj and his sister Yamuna, and is also called Yama Dwitya, Goddess Yamuna or Yami was extremely close to her brother Lord Yamraj. She longed to see him as they had not met in a long time. So, when her brother visited her on the second day after Diwali, she was elated.She cooked delicious food and put tilak on his forehead, praying for his long and healthy life. Lord Yamraj was extremely touched by the gesture. Goddess Yamuna said that she wants him to visit her every year and said that any man whose sister puts tilak on her brother’s forehead would not need to be fearful of Lord Yamraj and the love of their sister would protect them.

Lord Yamraj granted her the boon and since then, the festival of Bhai dooj, with sisters applying tilak on their brother’s forehead, is now an integral part of the festival of Diwali.

Puja Vidhi
On this day, the brothers go to their sister’s house if she is married. Sisters perform aarti for their brothers at the auspicious time and apply tilak, if the brother is older the sister will touch her brother’s feet and seek blessings, she will pray for the long and prosperous life of her brother and he will shower her with gifts. On this day sisters also cook for their brother and feed their brothers with many sweets.

By: Ms. Gunjan Oli, Executive (ATF & Insurance)