Date: Thursday, 23 October 2025
Tilak Muhurat (Auspicious Time): 1:13 PM to 3:28 PM (IST)
Dwitiya Tithi Begins: 22 October 2025 at 8:16 PM
Dwitiya Tithi Ends: 23 October 2025 at 10:46 PM
What is Bhai Dooj?
Bhai Dooj (also known as Bhaiya Dooj, Bhau Beej, or Bhai Phota) is a significant Hindu festival that celebrates the sacred bond between brothers and sisters. It falls on the Dwitiya Tithi (second lunar day) of the Shukla Paksha in the month of Kartika, two days after Diwali. The festival mirrors the spirit of Raksha Bandhan but with different traditions—this time, the sister invites the brother and performs rituals for his long life and prosperity.
Bhai Dooj 2025 Story: The Legend of Yamraj and Yamuna
According to Hindu mythology, Yamraj, the god of death, visited his sister Yamuna on Dwitiya Tithi. She welcomed him with love, applied a tilak on his forehead, performed aarti, and served him a delicious home-cooked meal. Touched by her devotion, Yamraj blessed her and declared that any sister who performs this ritual on Bhai Dooj would see her brother blessed with long life and happiness.
This mythological event gave rise to the tradition of Yam Dwitiya, which is another name for Bhai Dooj.
Significance of Bhai Dooj
- Symbol of Sibling Love: Bhai Dooj celebrates the emotional and spiritual bond between siblings.
- Ritual of Protection: Just as Raksha Bandhan signifies protection, Bhai Dooj invokes blessings for the brother’s health, wealth, and longevity.
- Cultural Harmony: Different regions in India observe the same sentiment in unique ways under different names.
- Spiritual Blessing: The sister’s prayers on this day are believed to be especially powerful, invoking the blessings of Yama, Ganga, and Krishna.
Rituals of Bhai Dooj 2025
Preparations
- Sisters wake up early, take a holy bath, and clean the puja area.
- A chowk (sacred design) is drawn with rice flour or turmeric.
- A thali is prepared with roli, rice, sweets, flowers, betel leaves, and a lit diya (lamp).
Tilak Ceremony
- The brother is made to sit facing east on the chowk.
- The sister applies a tilak using roli and rice.
- She performs aarti and offers sweets, water, and paan (betel leaf).
- A sacred kalawa (thread) is tied on his wrist.
- This is followed by a meal lovingly prepared by the sister—known as Bhagini Hasta Bhojanam (meal served by sister's hands).
Chanting the Mantra
While applying tilak, the sister recites:
Ganga puje Yamuna ko, Yami puje Yamraj ko,
Subhadra puje Krishna ko, Ganga Yamuna neer bahe, mere bhai ki aayu badhe.
This mantra is believed to invoke divine blessings for the brother’s well-being and long life.
Gifting & Blessings
- Brothers offer gifts or money to their sisters as a token of appreciation and love.
- The siblings seek blessings from elders in the family.
