New Delhi: Bhai Dooj is a Hindu festival celebrated around India, also known as Bhau-Beej, Bhaiya Dooj/Bhai Dooj. It is also celebrated as “Yama Dwitiya” in the southern parts of India. It is observed during the Diwali festival and is the second day of the Vikrami Samvat, which is the Hindu New Year and starts from the lunar month of Kartika. The celebrations of Bhai Dooj are very similar to Raksha Bandhan, on this day sisters pray for a long and prosperous life for their brothers, and brothers give gifts to their sisters.
Bhai Dooj 2020 Tithi
16 November 2020
The Shubh Muhurat
The Puja Muhurat for Bhai Dooj is from 01:10 pm (IST) and 3:18 pm (IST)
History
According to Hindu mythology, Bhai Dooj is celebrated to commemorate Lord Krishna’s sister Subhadra’s loving gesture toward her brother. After Lord Krishna defeated Narakasur, Subhadra invited her brother to celebrate his victory, she applied tilak on his forehead and performed aarti, Lord Krishna was so pleased by his sister’s gestures that he blessed her with plentiful boons. According to another story, the festival is associated with Yamraj and his sister Yamuna, and is also called Yama Dwitiya.
Significance and Importance
On this day, women across India invite their brothers and teeka’ or ’tilak’ on their foreheads and pray to god for long and prosperous lives for their brothers. This ‘teeka’ or ‘tilak’ signifies the sister’s sincerest prayers for the long and happy life of her brother and treats them with gifts.