Bhai Dooj 2017: Date, shubh muhurat for tilak, history and significance

On Bhai Dooj, sisters pray for their brothers to have long and happy lives by performing Tika ceremony and brothers offer gifts to their sisters. Read on for the date, story, significance and muhurat to observe this festival.
Bhai Dooj, Bhau Beej, Bhai Phota,Bhai Teeka or Bhathru Dwithiya is a popular Hindu festival, which signifies the pious bond between a brother and sister and is similar to the festival of Raksha Bandhan. On this day, sisters pray for their brothers to have long and happy lives by performing Tika ceremony and brothers offer gifts to their sisters.

Read on for the date, story, significance and muhurat to observe this festival.
Bhai Dooj 2017 date

Bhai Dooj is celebrated by Hindus of India and Nepal on the second day after Diwali. The festival will be celebrated on October 21, Saturday, the second lunar day of Shukla Paksha in the Vikram Samvat calendar month of Kartik. On this day, sisters apply ‘tilak’ or ‘teeka’ on the foreheads of their brothers and receive gifts in return. Sisters observe this festival with their brothers and perform puja in the morning and pray to the Gods and Goddesses for better future and health of their brothers.

Story of Bhai Dooj

According to the popular Hindu Mythology, the God of Death Yamraj visited his sister Yami (Yamuna) on this special day. Yami welcomed him with aarti, tilak and sweets. She offered him delectable dishes to eat and he returned her sister a gift signifying his love and affection towards his sister. That day Yamraj declared that the brother who would receive aarti and tilak by his sister on that day should never be frightened of death and Yamlok. That is why this day is also called Yama Dwitiya.

According to another story, Lord Krishna returned to his sister Subhadra after killing the demon Narakasur and she welcmed him with aarti, tilak, sweets and flowers.
How to celebrate Bhai Dooj
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Sisters invite their brothers to their house for the festival of Bhai Dooj. A seat of rice flour is made by sisters for their brothers for the ceremony. They put a paste of rice and sindoor on the hands of their brothers. Then they offer flowers of Kaddu, betel leaves, betel nut and coins in the palms of their brothers. Sisters chant mantras and shlokas while pouring water on their brother’s palms. Then kalawa is applied on hand, tilak on the forehead and aarti is performed. A lamp is lit facing the southern direction. At some places like in Haryana and Maharastra, sisters who don’t have any brothers worship the moon.

Significance of Bhai Dooj

Bhai Dooj like Raksha Bandhan celebrates the love of a sister and brother and is one of the most celebrated festivals of India. Unlike Raksha Bandhan where the festival denotes the tying of Rakhi and signifies that the brother will protect the sister, here no rakhi is tied and the sister in a way provides the protection for the brother by praying to the Gods and Goddesses for his prosperity and long life.

Bhai Dooj Muhurat and auspicious timing

According to drikpanchang.com, Bhai Dooj Tika Muhurat is from 13:12 to 15:27 IST on Saturday, for a duration of 2 hours 14 minutes.

Dwitiya Tithi Begins = 01:37 on 21/Oct/2017

Dwitiya Tithi Ends = 03:00 on 22/Oct/2017