Bhai Dooj: What, Why, When, How

What it is

Bhai Dooj is the last day of Diwali, the second day (Dwitiya) of the bright half of Kartika. It celebrates brothers and sisters. A sister invites her brother home, puts a tilak on his forehead, waves a lamp before him, prays for his long life and well-being, and serves him a meal; the brother gives her a gift and his love and care.

The day has many names. In North India it is Bhai Dooj or Bhaiya Dooj, and in the texts Yama Dvitiya. Bengali families call it Bhai Phonta, Marathi and Konkani families Bhau Beej, Gujarati families Bhai Bij, and Nepali families Bhai Tika, the last day of Tihar, when sisters give their brothers a tika of seven colours. Today cousins and close friends often keep it too, and siblings who live far apart keep it by video call.

Why it is kept

Yama and Yamuna. The Vishnu Purana names Yama and his sister among the children of the Sun: Sanjna “bore him three children, the Manu (Vaivaswata), Yama, and the goddess Yami (or the Yamunā river)” (H. H. Wilson's translation, book 3, chapter 2). Yami is the river Yamuna. The story kept for this day says that Yamuna had long asked her brother to visit her, and that Yama, busy with his duties, could not come. On the second day of the bright half of Kartika he came at last. Yamuna welcomed him with a tilak, an aarti and a meal she had cooked herself. The story says that Yama, delighted, blessed every brother who visits his sister on this day and receives her tilak, and every sister who welcomes her brother. That blessing is the story's own word, told here as tradition.

Krishna and Subhadra. Another telling, known in North India, says that after defeating Narakasura Krishna went to his sister Subhadra, who welcomed him with lamps, flowers and a tilak, and that this day remembers that visit.

The texts on festival rules call the day Yama Dvitiya. They quote the Bhavishya Purana: on this Dwitiya Yamuna gave her brother Yama a meal at her house, so on this day a brother should take his meal from his sister's hands, not at home, and should honour her with gifts; where there is no sister, a cousin or a friend's sister is honoured instead. The engine keeps the day by the afternoon.

The texts behind the story

• Vishnu Purana, book 3, chapter 2 (the children of the Sun: Manu, Yama and Yami). H. H. Wilson (tr.), The Vishnu Purana (London: John Murray, 1840). Wilson died 1860: public domain. Quoted verbatim. (book 3, chapter 2, p. 266)
• Yama Dvitiya: the Bhavishya Purana (and the Padma Purana VI.124), as the digests quote it, on Yama's meal at Yamuna's house on Kartika Shukla Dvitiya, the brother's meal at his sister's hands and the gifts to sisters; the worship of Yama, Yamuna and Chitragupta. Read in P. V. Kane, History of Dharmasastra, vol. 5, part 1 (Poona: Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, 1958). Kane died 1972: cited, not quoted. (vol. 5, part 1, pp. 207–208)
• Yamuna's long invitation and Yama's blessing, and Krishna's visit to Subhadra: tradition, told in vrat-katha collections. Summarised in our own words.
• Dharmasindhu (Kashinatha Upadhyaya, 1790): Yama Dvitiya and the afternoon (aparahna) rule, as recorded in the engine rule.

When it is kept

Bhai Dooj is the Shukla Dwitiya of Kartika that is present during aparahna, the fourth of the five equal parts of the daytime at your location, the time the texts give for the brother's meal at his sister's home. If Dwitiya holds aparahna on the first day only, that day is taken. In every other case, when it holds aparahna on both days or on neither, the second day is taken. This follows the Dharmasindhu. When Dwitiya holds aparahna on both days, the app also shows the first day, which the Nirnayasindhu keeps, after the Nirnayamrita and Hemadri, because there Dwitiya is joined with Pratipada. The app shows the afternoon window.

The date, from the calendar engine

• Bhai Dooj 2027: Tika falls on Saturday, October 30, 2027 in Washington DC (computed for this city). In New Delhi it falls on Sunday, October 31, 2027.

The date depends on your city. Every city we cover is on the year page.

Traditions and regional customs

• Smarta (Dharmasindhu): Kartika Shukla Dwitiya in aparahna; the second day when both days or neither hold it
• Nirnayasindhu, after the Nirnayamrita and Hemadri: the first day, joined with Pratipada, when both days hold aparahna (the app shows it too)
• Bengali: Bhai Phonta
• Marathi and Konkani: Bhau Beej; Gujarati: Bhai Bij
• Nepali: Bhai Tika, the last day of Tihar

Why the day can differ

Aparahna is part of your own day, so Bhai Dooj can fall on different dates in different cities, and siblings in different countries may keep it on different days. Bengali families follow their own panjika for Bhai Phonta, which can differ by a day, and Nepali families follow the calendar their family uses for Tihar.

How to keep it at home

1. The sister prepares a plate with kumkum or roli, rice, a lamp, sweets, a coconut or dry fruit, and flowers. Many sisters draw a small rangoli or square where the brother will sit.
2. Within the afternoon window shown in the app, the brother sits facing north or east. The sister puts a tilak of kumkum and rice on his forehead, waves the lamp in an aarti, offers him a sweet and prays for his long life and well-being.
3. Bengali sisters touch the brother's forehead with sandalwood paste from the little finger in Bhai Phonta; Nepali sisters give a seven-coloured tika and a garland of makhamali (globe amaranth) flowers.
4. The sister serves the meal, and the brother gives a gift and his promise of care. If you cannot meet, keep the tilak over a video call, with a parent's help, and send the gift by post.

Fasting

Bhai Dooj is a feast. Some sisters fast until they have put the tilak on their brother and fed him; this is a family custom, not a rule.

Food

The sister cooks her brother's favourite meal. Leftover Diwali sweets are shared, and many homes make kheer, puri and a festive vegetable; Bengali Bhai Phonta tables carry many sweets and fish or meat dishes by family custom.

For children

Yamuna, the river, had a brother named Yama, who was always very busy. She kept inviting him to visit. One day he finally came! Yamuna was so happy that she put a tilak on his forehead, waved a lamp and cooked him a wonderful meal. Yama was so pleased that he wished happiness to every brother and sister who meet on this day. On Bhai Dooj sisters and brothers spend time together and show how much they care.

Something to do together

Make a card for a brother, sister or cousin, with a drawing of something you love doing together. Give it with a sweet, or send a photo of it if they live far away.

Sources

• Panchang engine rule bhai-dooj (packages/panchang/data/festivals.json), with the sources it lists.
• H. H. Wilson (tr.), The Vishnu Purana (London, 1840), book 3, chapter 2. Public domain.
• Wikipedia, "Diwali" (the five days; some communities mark the last day as Bhai Dooj).
• P. V. Kane, History of Dharmasastra, vol. 5, part 1 (Poona, 1958), pp. 207–208 (Bhratri Dvitiya or Yama Dvitiya). Cited, not quoted.

Related guides

• Diwali (Deepavali)
• Dhanteras (Dhanatrayodashi)
• Naraka Chaturdashi (Choti Diwali)
• Govardhan Puja (Annakut)
• Raksha Bandhan