Bhai Dooj
Celebrated on the day after Diwali each year, Bhai Dooj is more than a beautiful gesture of bonding between brothers and sisters. The festival is celebrated all over India and has mythological moorings. Out of the several myths associated with the festival, the most believed one is that after slaying Narkasur, a demon, Lord Krishna visited his sister Subhadra who gave him a warm welcome with sweets and flowers. She also affectionately applied tilak on Krishna's forehead. Since then the custom of celebrating Bhai Dooj started .
There is no fix date of this festival as Diwali festival depends upon movement of moon and is celebrated on No Moon ( Amavasya) night of the Kartika month of the Hindu calender. Perhaps this is the reason why girls who do not have brothers worship the moon God. The festival is also known as Bhau Bij, or Bhai bij in Marathi and Bhai Bonda in Bengali.
Celebrated in all the northern and most of the south Indian states it has varied ways and customes and rituals associated with it. On this day after pooja sisters put the sacrosanct red tilak on brothers’ forehead and offer prayers for their long lives. Brothers in return pamper the sisters by gifting them sweets, clothes or gifts and wish them happiness and strength for thier future.
With centuries of filtering down through customs, it is celebrated is several peculiar ways. While some myths consider it inauspicious for the brothers to travel on Bhai Dooj some myths make it mandatory for the brother to travel to the sister’s place.
The festivals is a true signifier of the value of kinship bonds in indian customs and way of life.
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