Celebrate the bond of Love and friendship- Bhaiya Dooj

India is a place where the relationships, religion, and emotions play a significant role.  After the festivals of lights and high voltage grandeur of Diwali, people celebrate Bhaiya Dooj on the last i.e. fifth day. Bhaiya Dooj is a festival where sisters put Tika on the head of their brothers as a mark to save him from all the odds. It is believed that the holy tika ends the negativity around him and act as a lifeguard. Brothers too shower gifts and blessings on their beloved sisters.

Bhaiya dooj is a word of Sanskrit where bhaiya means ‘brother’ and ‘dooj’ stands for the second day of the full moon. Besides the vermillion mark on the forehead, sisters also perform holy arti in which she prays and hopes for his well-being. Bhaiya dooj is also called Yama Dwitiya as it is believed that on this day, Yamraj (the lord of death and custodian of hell) visited his sister Yami who puts the auspicious mark on the head of her brother and prayed for his well-being. So, it is believed that those brothers who have tilaks shall never be hurled into hell.  Due to secularities and diversity, India celebrates this day differently in other parts of the country as well.

• The celebration of this festival in Bihar is quite different where the sisters heap choicest of curses on their brothers and then they pick their own tongue as a punishment and ask for their brothers’ forgiveness. Brothers’ bless their sisters and pray for their wellbeing.
• In West Bengal, Bhai Dooj is known as Bhai Phota. Sisters fast in the morning until the traditional ceremonies are completed. The tilak is made of ghee, sandalwood (Chandan) and kohl (kajal). Kheer and coconut laddoos are among the traditional sweets of the festival.
• In Gujarat, it is celebrated as Bhai Beej with traditional tilak ceremony and performs aarti (prayers).
• The Marathi-speaking communities of Maharashtra and Goa, celebrate this festival as Bhav Bij. The sisters draw a square on the floor where the brothers are supposed to sit only after he eats a bitter fruit called Karith. Basundi Poori and Shrikhand Poori are the popular dishes of the festival.

  This festival brings a lot of happiness, affection, and warmth between the relationship of brother and sister. This festival is a way to present the love and care of brothers and sisters to each other.