Q. 1 What is Bhai-Dooj?
Bhai Dooj or Bhaiya Dooj is a Hindu festival celebrating the unconditional love bond between a brother and a sister.
Q. 2 What does Bhai-Dooj signify?
Bhai Dooj defines the eternal love between siblings, dedicated to strengthening the bond between them. It is a festival of love and joy.
Q. 3 When is Bhai-Dooj celebrated?
Bhai Dooj is celebrated on the second lunar day of ‘Shukla Paksha’ (bright fortnight) in the Hindu calendar month of Kartika, which is 2 days after the Diwali celebration. This is the last day if Diwali celebrations. This year, Bhai-Dooj is observed on 6th November, 2021.
Q.4 How is Bhai-Dooj celebrated?
Bhai dooj is the festival to celebrate love amongst the siblings. On this day, elder siblings give gifts and money to their younger siblings who in turn apply the tika to their foreheads and pray for their wellbeing and protection. The entire family gets together to celebrate this auspicious festival.
Q. 5 What is the story behind Bhai-Dooj?
It is said that after defeating the evil demon Narakasura, Lord Krishna visited his sister Subhadra. His sister gave him a warm welcome with sweets and flowers. She then applied the ceremonial tilak on Krishna’s forehead. It is believed that this is the origin of the festival of “Bhai Dooj”.
It is also said that 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, he was greeted with a grand ceremony, offered sweets and had the ceremonial tika placed on his forehead. Being immensely 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.
Q. 6 What is the difference between Bhai-Dooj and Raksha-Bandhan?
The very basic difference is that on Raksha Bandhan, the sister ties rakhi on the wrist of her brother while on bhai dooj, it doesn’t happen. On Raksha Bandhan, the brother vows to protect his sister at all costs, while in Bhai Dooj the sister vows to protect her brother.
Q. 7 How is Bhai-Dooj celebrated?
On this day, sisters pray to Yamraj for a long life and prosperity for their brothers. The ritual involves sisters marking the forehead of their brothers with a seven coloured long tika and in return the brothers bless their sisters.
Q. 8 What are the other names of Bhai-Dooj?
Bhai Dooj is known by different names in different regions. Bhaiya Dooj, Bhai Beej ,Bhau Beej, Bhai Phonta, Bhai Jiuntia, Bhav Bij (Bhai Beej), Bhai Tika, Bhatri Ditiya, Bhatru Dviteeya, Bhaghini Hastha, Bhojanamu, Yamadwitheya or Yamadvitiya.
Q.9 Do sisters fast on Bhai Dooj?
There is no strict, full day fast on bhai-dooj. Sisters observe fast in the morning till the traditional ceremonies are completed. A tilak made of ghee, sandalwood (Chandan) and kohl (kajal) is applied on the brother’s forehead to ask for his longevity from God. Among the traditional sweets, Kheer and coconut laddoos are some of the popular dishes for the occasion.
