Everything you need to know about Bhai Dooj 2025
Diwali/Deepavali, also known as the Festival of Lights, usually begins with Dhanteras and ends with Bhai Dooj, the fifth day of Diwali. Bhai Dooj is observed on the second lunar day of Shukla Paksha. Bhai Dooj is a festival that commemorates the love of a sister for her brother. On this day, the sister prays for her brother’s long life, treats him to hearty meals, and the two exchange gifts.
The mythology behind Bhai Dooj
Hindu mythological scriptures describe that after defeating the demon Narakasura, Lord Krishna visited his sister Subhadra on this day. Subhadra warmly greeted Krishna by applying a tilak on his forehead and garlands around his neck. She gave him sweets and then prayed for her brother’s long life.
History of Yama and Yami
Another legend described in Hindu mythology claims that Lord Yama paid a long-awaited visit to his sister, Yami, on this day. Yami was overjoyed and lavished him with Aarti and garlands as well as a vermilion tilak on his forehead. Then she invited him to a splendid feast prepared by Yami herself out of love for her brother. Yama spent the entire day happily with his sister and declared that if a brother visited his sister on this day, he would be blessed with long life, happiness and prosperity.
When is Bhai Dooj 2025?
In 2025, Bhai Dooj will be observed on Thursday, October 23, 2025.
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Auspicious times for Muhurta:
- Bhai Dooj Date: October 23, 2025
- Bhai Dooj Aparahna Timing: 1:13 p.m. to 3:28 p.m. on Thursday, October 23
- Dwitiya Tithi starts: October 22 at 8:16 p.m.
- Dwitiya Tithi concludes: October 23, 10:46 p.m.
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Bhai Dhooj and Pooja Vidhi Rituals
Bhai Dhooj is similar to Raksha Bandhan, which also represents the love of sister for her brother. Sisters (if married) visit their brothers in their maternal home on Raksha Bandhan and tie a Raksha (rakhi) as a symbol of protection. In Bhai Dooj, brothers are invited to their sisters’ homes and are warmly welcomed with aarti, a red tilak (tika) and flowers, as well as delicious and extravagant meals prepared by the sisters. The tilak represents the sister’s sincere wishes for her brother’s long life and prosperity. They also exchange gifts and spend the day celebrating happiness and love. The Bhai Dhooj pooja thali is exquisitely decorated with vermilion, sandal, fruits, flowers, sweets and betel nut. This thali is traditionally prepared on the eve of Bhai Dhooj. Before the Tilak ceremony, a square made of rice is taken out. The puja should be performed precisely at the time of Muhurat. Then the brother sits inside the rice square on the auspicious Muhurat, and his sister applies a tilak. Before performing an Aarti, the sister gives her brother fruits, betel nuts, crystallized sugar, betel leaves and black gram. Following Tilak and Aarti, the brother gives gifts to his sister and promises to protect her for the rest of her life.
Bhai Dooj celebration in different parts of India.
Bhai Dooj is also known as Bhaiyya Dooj in the north, Bhai Phonta in Bengal and Assam, and Bhau Beej or Bhav Bij in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa and Karnataka. It is also observed in some parts of Tamil Nadu and represents the closeness of the families of sisters and brothers. Bhagini means sister and Hasta Bhojanam means participating in sister’s meals. In the south, this festival is known as Yama Dwitiya, Bhatri Ditiya or Bhagini Hastha Bhojanamu in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. In Maharashtra, on this auspicious day of Bhau Beej, women without brothers worship the Moon God by applying Mehendi on the hands of young girls as a tradition. Hindus worship the Moon God, also known as Chanda Mama (Chanda means moon and Mama means mother’s brother). Women and girls who cannot visit their brothers on this day pray for the long life of their brothers by worshiping the Moon God and performing aarti to the moon. Historically, this was also the day when brothers visited their sisters or invited the sisters’ families to celebrate the bountiful harvest and strengthen the brother-sister bond. Bhai Dooj is known as Bhai Phonta in Bengal and Assam, where every ceremony begins with the blowing of the conch shell in the morning. The ceremony is performed at the sister’s house by her brother and the rest of the family. The brother sits on a small cotton mattress while his sister applies a tilak or phota (phonta) made of Chandan, kajal and Dahi while praying for his well-being. There are also specific applications for phonta. If the sister is older than the brother, apply the fonta with the left little finger; the younger sister applies it with her right. This day is also known as Vishwakarma puja day by the artisan community as Lord Vishwakarma is the presiding deity of architecture, crafts, construction, manufacturing and textile work. On this day, looms, tools, machines and work areas are cleaned, and artisans pray for prosperity and a constant flow of sources of livelihood. Bhai Dooj is also known as Bhai Tika in Nepal as part of the Tihar (Diwali) festival. The sisters wear a tika of seven colors, each with a symbolic meaning. They perform puja by surrounding their brothers and pouring oil on the ground and on their brothers’ hair as a sign of good luck and purification. The brothers are presented with shagun, sweets and a sacred thread. In return, brothers place a seven-color tika on their sisters’ foreheads and present them with gifts.
Importance of Bhai Dooj
The Bhai Dooj festival commemorates not only the brother-sister bond but also the last day of Deepavali. This also makes it easier for family, relatives and friends to come together and celebrate the occasion with pomp and joy. The joy is shared by all and the brothers invite their sisters and their families to visit them for Raksha Bandhan, which is also a day of bonding between siblings. Deepavali, the harvest festival, comes at the end of the harvest season and heralds prosperity and wealth. Brothers share the prosperity and generosity of their sisters and families by showering them with gifts and blessings. Sisters, on the other hand, are delighted to see their brothers and shower them with love and blessings through puja as well as delicious flavors and sweets prepared with great care. Previously, when girls went to their husband’s house after marriage, it was customary for the girl’s parents not to visit her at her in-laws’ house. In Raksha Bandhan, the daughter returns to her matrimonial home to ensure the safety of her family and brother during the crisis. You can also visit them during pregnancy in preparation for the birth of the baby. Her brother, on the other hand, would visit their matrimonial home after the harvest to share the bounty with his sister and her family at Bhaiyya Dooj. Both the Bhai Dooj festival and Raksha Bandhan commemorate the deep and eternal bond between brothers, as well as their love and blessings for each other. It also means that you will be each other’s pillars in difficult times, protecting them from all evils with love and a deep bond.
