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Precious Bhai Dooj Festival, also known as Bhai Beej, Yam Dwitiya or Bhai Tika, is an important festival in Indian culture to make the brother-sister relationship more close. It is celebrated on the second day of Shukla Paksha of Kartik month, two days after Diwali. The festival of Bhai Dooj is a symbol of love, affection and protection of brother and sister, which shows the unbreakable bond between brother and sister.
History and mythological belief of Bhai Dooj Festival
The mythological history of Precious Festival Of Bhai Dooj is associated with many stories, out of which there are two main stories. The first story is related to Yamraj and his sister Yamunaji. It is said that Yamraj, who is considered the god of death, went to his sister Yamunaji‘s house to meet her. Yamunaji welcomed her brother with great love, gave him a bath and fed him and wished him a long life by applying a tilak on his forehead. Yamraj was pleased and took a promise from Yamunaji that on this day, the brother who eats food after getting a tilak from his sister’s hand, will never have to fear untimely death. Since then, the festival of Bhai Dooj started being celebrated.
The second story is related to Lord Krishna and his sister Subhadra. When Lord Krishna killed the demon Narakasura and freed people from his tyranny, after his victory, he decided to go to his sister Subhadra. Subhadra welcomed her brother with a tilak, flowers and sweets and wished him a long life. From then also the tradition of this festival started.
Why is Precious Bhai Dooj Festival celebrated?
The Bhai Dooj Festival is celebrated to honor the sacred relationship of brother and sister. On this day, sisters wish for their brother’s long life, health and happiness and prosperity. The brother also takes a pledge to protect his sister and gives her gifts. The main purpose of this festival is to deepen the affection and trust between brother and sister. This festival makes us understand the importance of family ties and gives the message of maintaining love and intimacy in relationships.
When is Precious Bhai Dooj Festival celebrated?
Bhai Dooj comes two days after Diwali. It is celebrated on the second day of Shukla Paksha in the month of Kartik. This date holds special significance as it is a part of the festive season in which brothers and sisters express their love for each other and promise to be with each other in good and bad times.
Methods and Traditions of Bhai Dooj Festival
On the day of Bhai Dooj, sisters invite their brother or go to his house themselves. On this special occasion, sisters decorate a thaal to welcome the brother. Roli, Akshat (rice), lamp, sweets, fruits and flowers etc. are kept in this thaal. Sisters apply tilak on their brother’s forehead with roli and akshat, which is a wish for the brother’s long life, health and prosperity. After the tilak, sisters perform aarti for the brother and feed him sweets. Through this entire ritual, sisters wish for their brother’s well-being and long life. After this, the brother expresses his love by giving gifts to his sister and also promises to protect the sister. The purpose of this custom is to deepen the affection and trust between brother and sister, so that their relationship remains unbreakable.
Yamraj is also invoked in the worship of Bhai Dooj, so that the brother does not fear untimely death. Apart from this, on this day sisters feed their brother dishes like halwa, puri, sweets etc. This festival is celebrated prominently in North India, but it is also celebrated in other parts of India with different names.
Traditions of Bhai Dooj in different regions
The festival of Bhai Dooj is celebrated differently in different regions of India. In Maharashtra, Goa and Konkan region it is known as ‘Bhau Beej’. Here the sister performs aarti of her brother and wishes him a long life by applying tilak. In West Bengal it is called ‘Bhai Phota’, where sisters wish for the well-being of their brother by applying ‘phota’ i.e. tilak on his forehead. In Nepal too, this day is celebrated as ‘Bhai Tika’, in which the brother-sister relationship is honored.
Religious beliefs behind Bhai Dooj
Bhai Dooj is related to religion, culture and traditions. In Hinduism, this festival is seen as a symbol of maintaining the sanctity and importance of the brother-sister relationship. This festival shows that our family relationships are not only social but also spiritual, which include mutual trust, love and responsibility.
There is also another religious belief in this festival that on this day Yamraj is worshiped for the long life of the brother. It is believed that if a brother eats food at his sister’s house and gets a Tilak done on this day, then with the grace of Yamraj, his life is prolonged and he does not have to fear premature death. In this way, the festival of Bhai Dooj on one hand strengthens family relationships, and on the other hand, it also adds a sense of security to the brother’s life from a spiritual point of view.
Modern significance of Bhai Dooj Festival
The festival of Bhai Dooj is as relevant in today’s time as it was centuries ago. In a changing society where people are busy in their personal and professional lives, the festival of Bhai Dooj brings brothers and sisters together and gives them an opportunity to understand the importance of their relationship. This festival reminds us that no matter how much distance there is, the love between brothers and sisters always remains. This festival is helpful in uniting family members, strengthening relationships and increasing mutual trust.
Apart from this, Bhai Dooj is a symbol of a precious bond between brother and sister, in which the brother promises to protect his sister and the sister prays for her brother’s well-being. This tradition deepens the brother-sister relationship, which is considered very important in Indian culture.
The festival of Bhai Dooj is an important link in the brother-sister relationship, which symbolizes affection, affinity and responsibility between them. This festival makes us feel love, dedication and protection towards our family. It is not just a festival, but a unique opportunity to revive the brother-sister relationship in Indian culture. Through Bhai Dooj, we get the message of maintaining and preserving our family values. The importance of this day is not only from a religious point of view, but it is also a social occasion, which gives us an opportunity to understand the depth of relationships and strengthen them.
