Diwali is a 5-day celebration which ends with Bhai Dooj, a festival that celebrates the love between brothers and sisters. Also called Bhau Beej or Yama Dwitiya, Bhai Dooj is celebrated on the second lunar day (Dwitiya Tithi) of Shukla Paksha in the month of Kartik. This year, it will be celebrated on Thursday, October 23, 2025.
Bhai Dooj 2025 Shubh Muharat and Puja Timing
How is Bhai Dooj celebrated?
On Bhai Dooj, sisters make a special thali with roli, rice, a diya, coconut, and sweets. They do the aarti, apply tilak on their brother’s forehead, and pray for his health and success. Brothers, in return, give gifts or money to show their love and promise to protect their sisters. The festival is all about love, care, and togetherness between siblings.
Bhai Dooj: Shubh muhurat to apply tilak
According to Drik Panchang The most auspicious time to apply tilak this year is between 1:13 pm and 3:28 pm. It will remain auspicious for a period of 2 hours and 15 minutes. So, sisters can perform the ceremony at any time during that duration.
Why is Bhai Dooj celebrated?
Bhai Dooj like Raksha Bandhan, celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters at the heart and both are celebrated due to Hindu mythological events. According to legends, Yama the God of Death visited his sister Yami, the deity after whom the river Yamuna is named. It was on this day that he visited her and she welcomed him with the sacred and ceremonial tray; applying tilak on him, performing aarti, feeding him sweets and praying for a long and happy life for him.
This gesture touched him so deeply that he proclaimed that, any brother who was graced by his sister’s tilak and prayers would go on to have a prosperous and healthy life. The rest, as we know, is history and today we are here – still carrying on with age old traditions and participating in the rituals of our ancestors and honouring time-old rites.
Bhai Dooj is a time to reaffirm the love and devotion between siblings and way to create memories for years to come. This Bhai Dooj, make sure to get the timings of the different rituals right to make the day even sweeter.
