Bhai Dooj · Yama puja

The day

• Kartika Shukla Dvitiya, the second day of Kartika's bright fortnight, two days after Deepavali.
• It is also called Yama Dvitiya: the day Yamuna fed her brother Yama in her home.

What to do today

• Brothers eat at their sister's house, from her hand, and honour her with gifts.
• Sisters pray for their brothers' long life; the worship of Yama falls in the afternoon window this page shows.

Its names

• Bhai Dooj in the north, Bhau Beej in Maharashtra and Goa, Bhai Phonta in Bengal, Bhai Tika in Nepal (practice)

Bath

• Bathe in the Yamuna if you can; the Skanda passage says one who bathes in the sun's daughter today does not see Yama's world.
• Elsewhere, bathe at home remembering Yamuna and the holy rivers.

When

• Worship Yama in the afternoon window this page shows; the afternoon is his time today.

Worship

• Worship Yama, the lord of dharma, together with Chitragupta and Yama's messengers, with flowers, akshat, incense and a lamp.
• Brother and sister together offer arghya to Yama, praying to him as the son of the sun and the elder brother of Yamuna.

The eight long-lived

• A prayer is also offered to the eight long-lived ones, Markandeya, Bali, Vyasa, Hanuman, Vibhishana, Kripa, Ashvatthama and Parashurama, for the brother's long life.

Lamp

• Many families light a lamp for Yama at the door this evening (practice)

Eat from her hand

• A brother should not eat at his own home today, but at his sister's, from her hand, with affection.
• The Bhavishya passage promises strength, wealth, grain and long life to the brother who does so.

Who counts as sister

• All sisters are honoured, the elder first; where there is no sister, a cousin, a father's or mother's sister's daughter, or a friend's sister takes her place.
• The katha even says one should never go without: if no sister can be found, honour a cow or a river as one.

The sister's part

• The Brahmanda passage says the sister who feeds her brother today and honours him with tambula keeps her own married life secure and guards his life.
• Many sisters keep a fast until they have done the tilak and fed their brother (practice)

No fast is set

• No fast is set for the brother; the day is a meal shared.

The tilak

• The sister seats her brother, puts a tilak of roli and akshat on his forehead and waves the aarti (practice)
• She gives him sweets or a coconut and prays for his long life (practice)

The brother's gifts

• The brother honours every sister with gold, ornaments, clothes and food, as his means allow.
• The brother bows to her, receives her blessing and then honours her.

Closing the day

• Touch the elders' feet and share the meal with the family (practice)
• Note: Families differ on whether the tilak comes before or after the meal; keep your own custom.

The tithi

• Kartika Shukla Dvitiya in every calendar; the day is tied to the afternoon, when Yama is worshipped.

The rule

• The earlier day is kept when the Dvitiya covers the afternoon there; in every other case, the later day.
• Some take the afternoon-covering Dvitiya joined to the Pratipada, and some the Pratipada-joined day.

On this page

• The date and the afternoon window are worked out from this rule for your city.

The invitation

• Yamuna, the daughter of the sun, kept asking her brother Yama to come to her home for a meal with his attendants.
• Bound by his work, Yama put it off day after day, until in Kartika, on the second day of the bright fortnight, he came.

The visit

• On his way he freed the beings in the hells for the day, so that they too could rejoice.
• Yamuna welcomed him, bathed him with fragrant oil, dressed him in fine clothes, ornaments and garlands, and served him many dishes.

The boon

• Pleased, Yama offered her a boon; she asked that the day bring joy to all and release to sinners.
• Yama promised that whoever bathes in the Yamuna today, offers tarpana to the forebears and eats at a sister's home will never see his door.
• He added that prisoners should be let go to eat at their sisters' homes on this day.

Her name

• Many families call her Yami, the name of Yama's twin (practice)

With Yama

• Chitragupta, Yama's record-keeper, is worshipped with Yama this afternoon, with Yama's messengers.
• Some count it a custom of the Gaudas of Bengal; it is for everyone.

Kayastha practice

• Kayastha families keep this day as Chitragupta puja, worshipping him as their forebear and as the keeper of every deed (practice)
• They set out pens, an inkpot and account books before his image and set writing aside until the puja is done (practice)
• Many write a short prayer, with their name and the year's accounts, and place it before him (practice)

Mathura

• Brothers and sisters bathe together at the Yamuna ghats of Mathura, holding hands (practice)

Maharashtra and Goa

• Bhau Beej: the sister does the aarti of her brother, often seated on a square drawn with rangoli (practice)

Bengal

• Bhai Phonta: the sister puts a dot of sandal paste on her brother's forehead with a rhyme to keep Yama away (practice)

Nepal

• Bhai Tika closes Tihar: the sister marks her brother with a tika of many colours and garlands him with flowers that do not fade quickly (practice)