Observed by Hindus Frequency Annual Type of holiday Religious celebration | 2016 date 1 November 2017 Date 21 October 2017 Featured in religions Hinduism | |
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Observances Celebration of any Brother-Sister like relationship Also called Bhau Beej, Bhai Tika, Bhai Phonta | ||
Bhai dooj katha in hindi bhai dooj ki kahani
Bhai Dooj(भाई दूज) / Bhau-Beej / Bhai Tika / Bhai Phonta(ভাইফোঁটা) is a festival celebrated by Hindus of India and Nepal on the second lunar day of Shukla Paksha (bright fortnight) in the Vikram Samvat Hindu calendar month of Kartika. It is the last day of the five-day-long Diwali or Tihar festival.
Contents
- Bhai dooj katha in hindi bhai dooj ki kahani
- Bhai dooj brother sister love hindu festival celebration puja on diwali
- Regional names
- The ceremony
- The celebration
- Bhaitika in Nepal
- References
The celebrations of this day are similar to the festival of Raksha Bandhan. On this day, sisters get gifts from brothers.
In the southern part of the country, the day is celebrated as Yama Dwitiya.
Bhai dooj brother sister love hindu festival celebration puja on diwali
Regional names
The festival is known as:
According to a popular legend in Hindu mythology, after slaying the evil demon Narkasur, Lord Krishna visited his sister Subhadra who gave him a warm welcome with sweets and flowers. She also affectionately applied tilak on Krishna's forehead. Some believe this to be the origin of the festival.
The ceremony
On the day of the festival, sisters invite their brothers for a sumptuous meal often including their favorite dishes/sweets. The procedure may be different in bihar and central india. The whole ceremony signifies the duty of a brother to protect his sister, as well as a sister's blessings for her brother.
Carrying forward the ceremony in traditional style, sisters perform aarti for their brother and apply a red tika on the brother's forehead. This tika ceremony on the occasion of Bhai Bij signifies the sister's sincerest prayers for the long and happy life of her brother and treat them with gifts. In return brothers bless their sisters and may treat them also with gifts or cash.
As it is customary in Haryana, Maharashtra to celebrate the auspicious occasion of Bhau-beej, women who do not have a brother worship the moon god instead. They apply mehendi on girls as their tradition.
The sister whose brother lives far away from her and can not go to her house, sends her sincerest prayers for the long and happy life of her brother through the moon god. She performs aarti for the moon. This is the reason why children of Hindu parents affectionately call the moon Chandamama (Chanda means moon and mama means mother's brother).
The celebration
Bhai Phonta in West Bengal is celebrated with much splendor. The ceremony is marked with many rituals along with a grand feast arranged for the brothers.It is necessary that, both brother and sister are more than 5 years of age.
The festival of Bhai Bij is popular in Haryana, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa and is celebrated with great fervour and gaiety. Brothers and sisters look forward to the occasion with immense enthusiasm. To add charm to the occasion, Bhai Bij gifts are exchanged between brothers and sisters as a token of love and appreciation.
Bhav Bij is a time for family reunions as all brothers and sisters in the family get together. Close relatives and friends are also invited to celebrate the Bhav Bij in many families.
Special dishes for the festival include the Maharashtra sweet called basundi poori or kheerni poori.On this occasion sisters give gifts to their brothers.
Bhaitika in Nepal
Bhaitika in Nepal is also known as Bhaitihar meaning tihar of brothers. On this day, sisters pray to Yamraj for her brother's long life and prosperity. Sisters put seven colored long tika on forehead of their brothers.