Bhai Dooj 2019: Occasion To Fortify The Bond Of Siblings!

The festival of Bhai Dooj will be celebrated on Tuesday, October 29 in 2019.. Bhaiya Dooj is the festival that strengthens the bond of care, love, and affection between a brother and a sister. Although known by different names, but the sole reason of Bhai Dooj is praying for the well being of brothers. Read on…

Diwali , the festival of five days, ends up with the festival dedicated to brother-sister bonding. The festival is famous by the name of Bhai Dooj.

As per the Hindu Calendar , Bhai Dooj is celebrated on the second day of the bright fortnight (Shukla Paksha) in the Hindu month Kartik.

Bhai Dooj festival is the day when sisters pray for the long life of their brothers. Bhai Dooj indicates the eternal love and bonding of a sister and a brother. Bhaiya Dooj celebrations are same as the celebrations of Raksha Bandhan . However, the only difference is that Raksha Bandhan is the promise of brothers to take care of their sisters, while Bhaiya Dooj is the one in which sisters pray for the long life and happiness of their brothers. Let’s take a look when would Bhaiya Dooj in 2019 be celebrated and what all would be done by all the sisters on this Bhai Dooj.

Bhai Dooj

The festival of Bhai Dooj is an indicator of the sweet bond of a brother and sister. Bhai Dooj shows the affection and care that sisters have for their brothers. On this Bhai Dooj, show your loving brothers how much you love them and care for them.

Bhaiya Dooj festival is celebrated with a lot of zeal and fervor in all parts of the country. Even if the brothers or sisters reside far away, they visit each other’s place and complete the rituals of Bhai Tika. The feel of the festival is same in every part of the country, irrespective of regional variations. The Bhai Dooj will also have the same soul of celebrations when sisters would pray by heart, for the well being of their brothers and wish them a happy life ahead. On Bhaiya Dooj, again this festival will bring all the brothers and sisters even more closer and strengthen their bond. Bhai Dooj is known by different names in different parts of the country. Let’s take a look at these names.

Bhai Dooj : Different Names Of The Festival

1. Bhai Tika in Nepal
2. Bhaubeej in Maharashtra
3. Bhaubeej in Gujarat
4. Bhai Phota in Bengal
5. Sodara Bidige in Karnataka

However, there are other names also for this festival that are Bhatri Ditya, Yama Dwitiya, Bhatru Dwitiya. But, no matter what the name of the festival is, the only thing is that nothing in this world could change the love between a brother and a sister.

Now, before celebrating the festival of Bhai Tika, we should know the reason behind the celebrations of Bhai Dooj. Hence, let’s take a look at the legend associated with Bhai Dooj festival.

Bhai Dooj : The Legends

There have been many famous legends behind celebrating Bhai Phota, but the two most important ones are mentioned below:

Legend Of Lord Yama & Yamuna

As per the legend, Yama (the lord of death) came to meet river Yamuna, who was his sister. Since, she loved her brother a lot, so she put a Tilak (vermilion mark) on his forehead to welcome him. Along with this, she welcomed him by offering a garland and also made some delicious dishes for him. When Yama entered her home, he had a meal with river Yamuna. They both enjoyed the time, Yama liked the food made by Yamuna. Both, the sister and brother, talked about each other’s life. After this, Yama decided to leave and while leaving, he gave many gifts to his sister, Yamuna. He said to Yamuna that it is the token for the love she has shown to him. Yamaraj also said that if any brother will get a Tilak from his sister on this day, he will not go to hell. Hence, the day of Bhai Dooj is also known as Yama Dwitiya.

Legend Of Lord Krishna & Subhadra

As per the legend, Lord Krishna killed the demon, Narakasura. After killing him, while he was on his way, Lord Krishna visited his sister, Subhadra. As soon as Subhadra heard that her brother is coming to meet her, she welcomed him with a Tika (mark of protection). Along with this, she also welcomed Lord Krishna by lighting up the lamps, making sweets of Krishna’s choice. Lord Krishna felt happy by seeing all the preparations by his sister. Hence, the day was celebrated as Bhai Dooj.

Bhai Dooj : Significance Of Bhai Dooj

As we all know every festival that is celebrated has its own significance, so does the festival of Bhau Beej. The festival of Bhai Dooj is the one that brings the whole family closer to each other, not only the brother and sister. The family altogether enjoys the festivity of the day.

Sometimes, it may happen that a sister may not meet her brother or some sisters who stay very far away from their brothers. They are not able to put Tika on their brother’s forehead. In such a case, they send a packet of saffron to them, through post. Hence, the significance of this festival cannot be denied, even if the sister and brother stay far away, but they share the care for each other.

Hence, on Bhaiya Dooj, you can also send your wishes to your loving brothers. Instead, in the age of technology, it is more easier to celebrate the festival and keep in touch with your loved ones.

Bhaiya Dooj : Mantra For The Day

While putting a Tika on a brother’s forehead, the following Mantra should be recited. So, remember the following Mantra for this Bhaiya Dooj.

Mantra In Devanagari :

Mantra in Roman :

Bhai Dooj : Rituals Of The Day

The rituals of the festival of Bhai Dooj are followed in all parts of the country. Let’s take a look at the rituals that are followed to enjoy the festivity of the day.

1. On the occasion of Bhau Beej or Bhai Dooj, if the sister is married, brothers visit their sisters’ place.
2. Sisters perform Aarti to their brothers and put a Tika on their forehead.
3. Those who are far away from their brothers or do not have a brother, worship Moon as their brother on the festival of Bhai Tika.
4. After this, the brothers are offered food made by their sisters, especially.
5. Along with this, Lord Yama and Chitragupta (the one who keeps records of good and bad Karma of humans) are worshiped.
6. It is also believed sacred and auspicious to take a holy dip in the river, Yamuna.
7. Hence, on this Bhai Dooj, follow these rituals and pray for your brother’s long and happy life from the Almighty.

Bhai Dooj : Celebrations Around The Country

This year too, Bhai Tika will again be celebrated with the same fervor. All the brothers and sisters will again strengthen their bond of love and care, on this Bhai Dooj. Let’s take a look at different ways of celebrating the festival of Bhau Beej.

Celebrations In Punjab

The celebrations of Bhai Duj starts by putting a Tika on brother’s forehead, by the sisters. The Tika is a blend of rice and saffron. The Tika, put on brother’s forehead, indicates that it is the sign of protection from all the problems and difficulties. Following this, brothers offer gifts to their sisters.

Celebrations In Bihar

The people of Bihar celebrate festival of Bhai Dooj in a unique manner. Firstly, the sisters say all the bad words and curse their brothers. However, it is only a part of the rituals. After this, all the sisters, as punishment, use a wild and thorny fruit to prick their tongues. This indicates that they feel bad for whatever they have said. They also pray for their brother’s happy and successful future. Also, as a part of celebration, all the sisters offer to eat Bajri (pearl millet) with water, to their brothers.

Celebrations In Bengal

The festival of Bhai Phota in Bengal starts with a fast kept by all the sisters for the well being of their brothers. This fast is kept until the sisters complete all the rituals of the day of Bhai Phota. As the part of rituals and celebrations of Bhai Phota, sisters apply a Tilak made by Kajal, sandalwood paste, and Ghee (purified butter). Along with this, an Aarti is also performed. The elder brother or sister gives the rice and Durba (a type of a grass) to their younger siblings. In this ceremony, rice indicates happiness and fullness, while the grass indicates long life.

Celebrations in Maharashtra

The festival of Bhai Duj is famously known as Bhau Beej in the regions of Maharashtra. As a part of rituals and celebrations, the sisters draw a square on the floor and the brother has to sit in it. When they sit down in the square figure, the sisters put a Tika of vermilion on the forehead of brothers. All the sisters wait for the day with lots of excitement as after completing all the rituals, they get a gift from their brothers. Also, it is the time for them to recall the bond of sharing and caring between sisters & brothers.

Hopefully, this article on Bhai Dooj will help you to know all about Bhaiya Dooj. This way, you can know all the facts and the rituals of Bhai Dooj. Also, complete all the rituals of Bhai Tika or Bhai Phota by reciting the Bhaubeej festival Mantra mentioned above.

We hope that you will be able to celebrate Bhai Dooj in a perfect way.

MyKundali wishes all its readers a very Happy Bhai Dooj..!