Bhai Dooj 2019: Understand The Significance Of This Festival

The bond between a sister and a brother is definitely a special one. The festivals make this bond even stronger. Apart from Rakshabandhan, there is another festival which celebrates this bond. It is known as Bhai Dooj or Bhaiyya Dooj. This year the festival will be observed on 29 October 2019.

Since Diwali comes with four more festivals, Bhaiya Dooj is one on the list. This festival is observed two days after Diwali where the sister applies a tilak on the forehead of the brother and the brother gives gifts in return. The most auspicious time to perform Bhaiya Dooj rituals is, between 1:10 pm to 3: 27 pm.

Do you want to know why Bhai Dooj is celebrated with such great enthusiasm all over the country? Read to find out why we should celebrate Bhai Dooj.

Myths Associated With Bhai Dooj

Bhai Dooj is also known as the ' Yama Dwitiya'. It is believed that on this auspicious day, the God of Death Yamaraja had once visited his sister 'Yamuna', who welcomed him by performing aarti and applying a vermilion Tilak. According to another famous legend, Lord Krishna, after having killed the demon Narakasura, visited his sister Subhadra, who welcomed him with flowers, lamp and applied a tilak to mark his victory. Hence, the ritual of tilak performed on the Dwitiya Tithi of Karthika Masa, came to be known as Bhai Dooj, where Bhai means a brother and Dwitiya is the second day of a fortnight that the festival is observed on.

Whatever be the story behind the festival, the ritual of tilak is the most important part. In Bengal, this event is known as 'Bhai Phota' where 'Phota' means tilak. This tilak or the protective spot on the forehead is applied as a mark of protection to prevent the negative energies from attacking the brother. This mark of protection saves helps get a long and healthy life to the brother.

Significance Of Bhai Dooj

Like most of our Indian festivals, Bhai Dooj is also about family bonding and sibling love. It is a chance for the brother and sister to renew their attachments. In our busy lives, we often forget to attend to our relationships. These festivals bring us closer to our loved ones. Bhai Dooj is a celebration of one of the best relationships of our lives. While in some communities, the sister first applies a tilak on the forehead, then she offers a sweet. In yet others, the sisters are supposed to tie a sacred red thread (moli) also around the wrist of the brother. The brother is then supposed to give her something as a gift.