Bhai Dooj 2024: Date, Time, Rituals, How to Celebrate?

Bhai Dooj is a festival of Hindus celebrated one day after Govardhan Puja and two days after Diwali (generally). On the day of Bhai Dooj, sisters invite their brothers to their house and she performs brother’s aarti, place a tika on his head and pray to the gods for their long lives.

It is known by different names in different parts of the country but the traditions and celebrations remain the same. In northern India, it is called as Bhai Dooj whereas in western India it is known as Bhau Beej. In southern India, it is celebrated as Yama Dwitiya.

With the festival of Bhai Dooj, the five-day long Diwali festival comes to an end.

Bhai Dooj Overview

Bhai Dooj 2024 Tithi and Muhurat

Bhai Dooj is celebrated after the Govardhan Puja and is the fifth and last day of 5-day long festival of Diwali. According to the Hindu calendar, Bhai Dooj is observed on the second day of Shukla Paksha in the Kartik month.

The dwitiya tithi begins at 08:21 PM on Nov 02, 2024 and ends at 10:05 PM on November 03, 2024.

Bhai Dooj aparahana time is: 01:10 PM to 03:22 PM

Please note that some times, there can be an extra gap between Diwali and Bhai Dooj (two days instead of one) when seen in a Gregorian calendar (solar) as the day for both festivals are decided as per the Hindu lunar calendar.

Story behind Bhai Dooj

The festival strengthens the bond between brothers and sisters. There is a story behind this festival related to Lord Yama (or Yamaraja) and his sister Yamuma. The story goes as follows.

One day Yamuna decided to invite his brother over to her house since it has been a long time that she had met him. Her brother was Yama, the lord of death, who used to be very busy performing his duties and never had the time to go and visit his sister. But when Yamuna requested him politely to come to her house and have a mea with her, yama cannot decline.

It was the second day of Shukla Paksha in the month of Kartik when Yama finally managed to visit his sister. Seeing his brother at her doorstep, Yamuna got very happy. She invited him inside, did his aarti, placed a tika on his forehead and offered him some sweets.

Yama got overwhelmed with the love and respect that his sister gave him as nobody ever invited him to their house, given he was the god of death. Before leaving,

Yamaraja asked Yamuna for her wish and promised to fulfill it. Yamuna asked him for a boon- any brother, who visits his sister on this day and eat the food his sister offers, should have a long and happy life and untimely death should not touch him. The festival of Bhai Dooj began to be celebrated from that day onward.

Bhai Dooj Rituals & Celebrations

Just like the festival of Raksha Bandhan, Bhai Dooj is also celebrated by the sisters for long life and happiness of their brothers. On the day of Bhai Dooj, sisters invite their brothers over to their house, perform his aarti and apply a red tika on his forehead.

A thali is decorated specifically for performing aarti and a roli, tika, diya and sweet is placed on it. The sisters also offer prayers to God and blessings are sought in the form of long, happy and prosperous life of brothers. Sisters then present gifts to their brothers and the brothers can also present gifts to the sisters or ask them their wish and vow to fulfill them.

In many parts of country like Maharashta and Gujarat, Women who do not have a brother worship the moon on the occasion of Bhai Dooj and it is therefore why moon is somtimes referred to as Chanda Mama (mama means mother’s brother). In Haryana, there is a ritual of placing a dry coconut with klewa tied along its width at the time of doing aarti of a brother.

Frequently Asked Questions