Bhaubeej
Encyclopedia
The festival of Bhau-beej or Bhai Dooj or Bhai Phota is celebrated by Hindu
s on the on the last day of the five-day-long Diwali
festival. This is the second day of the bright fortnight or Shukla Paksha of the Hindu month of Kartika
. On this day, sisters pray for their brothers to have long and happy lives by performing the Teeka
ceremony, and brothers make gifts to their sisters.
In Manipur this festival is celebrated by the name "NINGOL CHAKUBA". Brother-Sister bonding is present here also.
Another name for the day is Yamadwitheya or Yamadvitiya, after a legendary meeting between Yama
the god of Death and his sister Yamuna (the famous river)on Dwitheya (the second day after new moon).
According to another popular legend in Hindu mythology
, after slaying the evil demon
Narkasur, 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. Some believe this to be the origin of the festival.
Carrying forward the ceremony in traditional style, sisters perform aarti
for their brother and apply a red tika
on the brother's forehead. This teeka ceremony on the occasion of Bhai Bij signifies the sister's sincerest prayers for the long and happy life of her brother. In return brothers bless their sisters and treat them with gifts or cash.
As it is customary in Maharashtra
to celebrate the auspicious occasion of Bhau-beej, women who don't have a brother worship the Moon God
instead. they apply mehendi on girls as their tradition.
The sister, whose brother lives far away from her and can't come to her house, sends her sincerest prayers for the long and happy life of her brother through Moon. She performs aarti for Moon. This is the reason why affectionately Hindu kids call Moon as 'Chandamama' ('Chanda' means Moon and 'mama' means mother's brother).
The festival of Bhai Bij is popular in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa and is celebrated with lot of fervour and gaiety. Brothers and sisters look forward to the occasion with immense enthusiasm. To add charm to the occasion Bhai Bij gifts are exchanged between brothers and sisters as a token of love and appreciation.
Bhav Bij is a time for family reunions as all brothers and sisters in the family get together. Close relatives and friends are also invited to celebrate the Bhav Bij in many families.
Special dishes for the festival include the Maharashtra sweet called Basundi Poori or kheerni Poori.
It is important to know that the ceremony of bhai Dhooj starts from 9:45 a.m. onwards.
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
s on the on the last day of the five-day-long Diwali
Diwali
Diwali or DeepavaliThe name of the festival in various regional languages include:, , , , , , , , , , , , , popularly known as the "festival of lights," is a festival celebrated between mid-October and mid-December for different reasons...
festival. This is the second day of the bright fortnight or Shukla Paksha of the Hindu month of Kartika
Kartika
Kartika or Karthika may refer to:* alternative transliteration of Kartik** Kartikeya, the son of Shiva in the Indian mythology* alternative transliteration of Karthika, a feminine name in Indian languages** Kartika Rane, Indian actress...
. On this day, sisters pray for their brothers to have long and happy lives by performing the Teeka
Tilaka
200px|thumb|right|Indian woman with tilaka and [[Bindi |bindi]]In Hinduism, the tilaka or tika or tilak is a mark worn on the forehead and other parts of the body...
ceremony, and brothers make gifts to their sisters.
Regional names
The festival is known as:- In BengalBengalBengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
the festival is known as Bhai Phota (BengaliBengali languageBengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
:ভাই ফোঁটা) and it takes place every year on the first or the second day from the Kali PujaKali PujaKali Puja or Shyama Puja is a festival dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali, celebrated on the new moon day of the Hindu month Ashwin in Bengal. It coincides with the pan-Indian Lakshmi Puja day of Diwali...
festival. - Bhai Bij, Bhau-beej or Bhav Bij amongst the MarathiMarathi languageMarathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
and Konkani-speaking communities in the states of MaharashtraMaharashtraMaharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, GoaGoaGoa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
and KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
; - Bhai Tika in Nepal, where it is the second most important festival after Vijaya Dashami.
- Other names include Bhai Dooj, Bhathru Dwithiya, Bhai Tika and Bhatri Ditya.
In Manipur this festival is celebrated by the name "NINGOL CHAKUBA". Brother-Sister bonding is present here also.
Another name for the day is Yamadwitheya or Yamadvitiya, after a legendary meeting between Yama
Yama (Hinduism)
Yama is the lord of death in Hinduism, first recorded in the Vedas. Yama belongs to an early stratum of Indo-Iranian theology. In Vedic tradition Yama was considered to have been the first mortal who died and espied the way to the celestial abodes, thus in virtue of precedence he became the ruler...
the god of Death and his sister Yamuna (the famous river)on Dwitheya (the second day after new moon).
According to another popular legend in Hindu mythology
Hindu mythology
Hindu religious literature is the large body of traditional narratives related to Hinduism, notably as contained in Sanskrit literature, such as the Sanskrit epics and the Puranas. As such, it is a subset of Nepali and Indian culture...
, after slaying the evil demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
Narkasur, Lord Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
visited his sister Subhadra
Subhadra
Image:Jagannath, Baladev and Subadra in Radhadesh.jpg|thumb|right|250px|alt=|Subhadra, flanked by her brothers Balarama and Jagannatha . Deities of the Radhadesh temple in Belgium...
who gave him a warm welcome with sweets and flowers. She also affectionately applied tilak on Krishna's forehead. Some believe this to be the origin of the festival.
The ceremony
On the day of the festival, sisters invite their brothers for a sumptuous meal often including their favorite dishes. The whole ceremony signifies the duty of a brother to protect his sister, as well as a sister's blessings for her brother.Carrying forward the ceremony in traditional style, sisters perform aarti
Aarti
Aarti , also spelled arathi, aarthi is a Hindu religious ritual of worship, a form of puja, in which light from wicks soaked in ghee or camphor is offered to one or more deities...
for their brother and apply a red tika
Tilaka
200px|thumb|right|Indian woman with tilaka and [[Bindi |bindi]]In Hinduism, the tilaka or tika or tilak is a mark worn on the forehead and other parts of the body...
on the brother's forehead. This teeka ceremony on the occasion of Bhai Bij signifies the sister's sincerest prayers for the long and happy life of her brother. In return brothers bless their sisters and treat them with gifts or cash.
As it is customary in Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
to celebrate the auspicious occasion of Bhau-beej, women who don't have a brother worship the Moon God
Lunar deity
In mythology, a lunar deity is a god or goddess associated with or symbolizing the moon. These deities can have a variety of functions and traditions depending upon the culture, but they are often related to or an enemy of the solar deity. Even though they may be related, they are distinct from the...
instead. they apply mehendi on girls as their tradition.
The sister, whose brother lives far away from her and can't come to her house, sends her sincerest prayers for the long and happy life of her brother through Moon. She performs aarti for Moon. This is the reason why affectionately Hindu kids call Moon as 'Chandamama' ('Chanda' means Moon and 'mama' means mother's brother).
The celebration
Bhai Phota in hyderabad is celebrated with much splendor. The ceremony is marked with many rituals along with a grand feast arranged for the brothers.The festival of Bhai Bij is popular in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa and is celebrated with lot of fervour and gaiety. Brothers and sisters look forward to the occasion with immense enthusiasm. To add charm to the occasion Bhai Bij gifts are exchanged between brothers and sisters as a token of love and appreciation.
Bhav Bij is a time for family reunions as all brothers and sisters in the family get together. Close relatives and friends are also invited to celebrate the Bhav Bij in many families.
Special dishes for the festival include the Maharashtra sweet called Basundi Poori or kheerni Poori.
It is important to know that the ceremony of bhai Dhooj starts from 9:45 a.m. onwards.
External links
- http://www.bhaidooj.org - Society for the Confluence of Festivals in India