According to the Hindu lunar calendar, Bhai Dooj is a national holiday in five Indian states. The festival takes place in either October or November according to the Gregorian calendar. It is a part of the Diwali celebrations in northern India and marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year.
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The brother-sister bond is celebrated during Bhai Dooj. On this day, sisters host a feast for their brothers, with celebratory specialties like “basundi poori”. Basundi is a sweet, extra-thick milk porridge that is “poori,” which means it has additional ingredients like fruits, nutmeg, and cardamom.
On this day, families reunite that go beyond simply brothers and sisters. Major public festivities are also staged throughout India, with West Bengal’s being particularly enormous.
Festival Customs and Traditions of Bhai Dooj
The festival of Bhai Dooj is observed traditionally throughout the nation. On this special occasion, sisters use rice flour to create a seat for their brothers. Once the brother is seated, a paste made of vermillion, dahi, and rice is applied as a sacred tika on the brothers’ foreheads.
The sister then places a Kaddu flower, betel leaves, betel nuts, and cash in the brother’s palms and washes them with water while singing mantras. Following this, the brother is given a kalawa and the aarti is performed. The following rite involves gift exchanging amongst participants and receiving the elders’ blessings.
Bhai Dooj Celebrations Take Place in Many States.
There are some variances in how Bhai Dooj is observed across the nation because it is a national holiday.
The holiday celebrations in several states of the nation are listed below.
To learn more, keep reading:
The event in Maharashtra is called “Bhav Bij” there.
Brothers are ordered to sit on the floor while sisters draw a square and eat the bitter fruit known as Karith as part of the sibling festival.
After that, sisters conduct the aarti, apply tilak to their brothers’ foreheads, and make prayers for the wellbeing of the siling.
West Bengal: The event there is referred to as “Bhai Phonta.” Several ceremonies are part of the celebration. The Sisters follow a fast till the rite is over on that particular day. Before saying prayers for the brothers’ well-being, the sisters apply a tilak on their foreheads that is made of sandalwood, kajal, and ghee. A lavish feast is planned for the occasion.
In Bihar, Bhai Dooj is celebrated quite differently in Bihar than in other areas of the nation. Here, sisters blaspheme and slander their brothers on this special day before pricking their tongues as a punishment and pleading with their brothers for pardon. Brothers bless them in return and give them presents.
Norms And Vidhi’s Comments About Bhai Dooj
On the second day of the dark lunar fortnight, Bhai Dooj is observed. The following methods can all be used to calculate it.
1. According to the scriptures, Bhai Dooj is observed on the second day of the dark lunar fortnight of the Kartik month if it falls in the fourth quarter of the day.
If Dwitiya tithi fell in the afternoon on either day, Bhai Dooj should be observed the next day. In addition, we celebrate Bhai Dooj the next day if Dwitiya Tithi does not appear to fall in the afternoon on either of the two days.
2. According to some beliefs, Bhai Dooj is celebrated if the pratipada tithi falls in the evening during a Kartik dark lunar fortnight. although it is said that this notion is not particularly true.
3. The brother is to get a tilak and food in the afternoon of Bhai Dooj. In addition, this day is dedicated to worshipping and honoring the deity of death.
The Puja Vidhi And Rituals Should Be Observed On Bhai Dooj.
Without appropriate customs and traditions, Hindu holidays, by the Indian religion, don’t properly convey their true meaning. Every celebration in our nation is thus observed with the utmost flair and fervor.
1. The dish from which the brother is to be honored is tasteful—or maybe more correctly, festively—decorated on the eve of Bhai Dooj. Vermillion, sandals, fruits, flowers, sweets, and betel nuts are required on the platter.
2. Use rice to mark out a square before the Tilak ritual.
3. The brother is seated on this square while he waits for the right moment for the sister to finish applying the tilak.
4. Before conducting an aarti on your brother, offer him fruits, betel nuts, crystallized sugar, betel leaves, and black grams after the Tilak.
5. After the Tilak and Aarti, the brother gives his sister a gift and makes a lifelong promise to look out for her.
The Legend Connected To Bhai Dooj
Every Hindu celebration must, of course, have an intriguing backstory, which is typically a very feisty and delicate affair. Similar to Bhai Dooj, it has a captivating narrative attached to it. This narrative elaborates on the significance and emphasizes its value quite a bit.
The Yam and Yami Saga
According to a well-known legendary account, the god of death, Yamraj, visited his sister, Yamuna. This visit subsequently evolved into the Bhai Dooj custom, which would be observed for a thousand years to come.
Puts on the tilak will never have to fear Yamraj, the god of death.
Beginning on this day, the Bhai Dooj ritual grew in popularity and became a phenomenon that is being practiced today.
It is commonly held that taking a plunge in the holy Yamuna river will bring the brother and sister benefits in the shape of a happier life with fewer problems, hence bathing there is seen to be of utmost importance.
The Story of Krishna and Subhadra
Another story about how we began to celebrate Bhai Dooj includes Lord Krishna. When he returned home after fighting the devil Narkasur, his sister (Subhadra) greeted him with flowers, fruits, and sweets. She also lit diyas to greet him.
She placed a tilak on his forehead before asking that he live for a thousand years longer. From that day forward, it became customary to apply tilak to the forehead of the brother in exchange for the brother presenting his sister with an enticing gift.