Bhubaneswar: Bhai Dooj, like Raksha Bandhan, celebrates the special bond between sisters and brothers. Bhai Dooj is celebrated on the second day (Dooj) of Shukla Paksha, the waning phase of the Moon, in the Hindu calendar month of Kartik. Usually, the festival falls after Diwali.
Although it is celebrated across India, in some parts of the country it is known by different names. The festival is known as Ningol Chakouba in Manipur and Bhau Beej in the Konkan region. It is called Bhai Phota in West Bengal, Bhau Deej in Maharashtra and Goa, Bhai Tika, and Bhai Tihar in Nepal.
This year, Bhai Dooj will be celebrated on November 6.
Sisters put a tilak on their brother’s forehead and pray for their long life and well-being. The brothers offer their sisters gifts in return.
According to the Hindu belief system, it is associated to the Vedic period, when deities shared a great bond with their siblings. In many ancient Hindu scriptures, Bhai Dooj has been quoted as a celebration of sibling bond. There are multiple stories related to this day with two of the prominent ones being about Lord Krishna and his sister Subhadra, and Lord Yamraj and his sister Yamuna.
As per the legend, Yamraj’s sister Yamuna tried to get her brother to visit her on many occasions but Yamraj was unable to do so for a long time. When he finally met her, his sister organized a grand ceremony for him, offered sweets to him and placed tika on his forehead.
Extremely pleased with the love and respect he was showered with, Yamraj gave Yamuna a boon and she in turn asked him to dedicate a day on which he would visit her house each year. Hence, the ritual of siblings visiting each other on this day began to honour the kinship between them.
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