Bhai Dooj is one of the lesser-known festivals dedicated to brothers and sisters. Bhai Dooj is celebrated on the Dwitiya Tithi (second day), Krishna Paksha (waning phase of the Moon), Chaitra (as per the Purnimant calendar).
When will Bhai dooj be celebrated this year?
This year, Bhai Dooj will be celebrated on the 27th of October. Bhai dooj is also known as Bhau Beej, Bhathru Dwithiya, Bhai Dwitiya and Bhatra Dwitiya.
What are the timings of Bhai dooj, 2022?
The timings of Bhai Dooj are given below:
- Bhai Dooj 2021 date: Thursday, October 27th, 2022
- Bhai Dooj Aparahna time: 01:10 pm to 03:21 om
- Dwitiya Tithi begins: 02:42 pm on October 26, 2022
- Dwitiya Tithi ends: 12:45 pm on October 27, 2022
History of Bhai dooj
According to one of the popular legends, Bhai Dooj is associated with Lord Yama (the God of Death) and his sister, Yamuna. And this tale pays tribute to the bond between the siblings. According to this story, Surya Dev (the Sun God) had two children from Sangya (also known as Saranyu or Saranya) – son Yama and a daughter Yamuna. In spite of being married to the Sun God, Saranya wouldn’t endure the heat produced by him. So, with her divine powers, she created Chhaya, a woman who was identical to her in appearance. And soon after giving form to Chhaya, Saranya asked her to look after her children. Subsequently, she left her marital home forever.
However, Chhaya failed to shower motherly love on the children, and hence Yama and Yamuna took good care of each other. With time, the two siblings grew up. Yamuna would often visit her brother’s house and invite him home. But Yama would always give lame excuses citing his busy schedule. One day, he decided to surprise her. He visited her house. His arrival made Yamuna beam with joy. She greeted him by putting tilak on his forehead and showering the Akshat on him. She also prepared a variety of food recipes and took great care of him.
And before leaving, when Yama urged his sister to ask for a boon, she requested her brother to dedicate the day of his visit to siblings. Ever since, brothers would visit their sister’s home, get blessed with the tilak, enjoy a feast, spend substantial time with them, and return with her unconditional love and best wishes.
Significance of this festival
On this day, sisters pray for their brothers to have a long and happy life. They do this by performing the Tika ceremony. The brothers gift their sisters. The celebration of Bhai Dooj is similar to that of Raksha Bandhan. According to a popular legend of Hindu mythology, Lord Krishna visited his sister Subhadra after slaying the evil demon, Narakasura. Subhadra welcomed him with sweets and flowers. She also applied tilaka on Krishna’s forehead. Some believe that this is the origin of the festival.
