Bhai Dooj
Also called Bhau Beej, Bhai Phota, Yama Dwitiya, Bhratri Dwitiya
When
Wednesday, 11 November 2026 in 62 days
New Delhi ยท change location
See the complete panchang for that day โ
Why this date?
Kartik Shukla Dwitiya, the second day of the bright fortnight after Diwali. The tilak is applied in the daytime โ commonly at aparahna, the afternoon watch โ so where Dwitiya spans two days the one carrying that period is taken.
- Computed by the panchanga engine for your location
- Follows a written selection rule, not a copied list
- Governed by the whole day rather than a specific period
- The written guide has not yet been reviewed by a named scholar
Dates come from the calculation engine and are independent of the written guide. How we calculate โ
Dates in the coming years
- Wednesday, 11 November 2026 in 62 days
- Sunday, 31 October 2027 in 416 days
- Thursday, 19 October 2028 in 770 days
- Wednesday, 7 November 2029 in 1154 days
- Monday, 28 October 2030 in 1509 days
Published to 2030. Later years appear as the dataset is extended and validated.
What In short
The day sisters apply the tilak to their brothers and feed them, and brothers give a gift in return. It closes the Diwali sequence for most households.
- Deity: Yama and Yamuna
Why The reason behind it
Yamuna received her brother Yama at her home on this day, and fed him; he granted that a brother who receives the tilak from his sister on this day should not fear death untimely. The day's other name, Yama Dwitiya, keeps that older meaning under the domestic one.
Traditional basis
Yama and Yamuna narrative, puranic recensions โ The visit and the boon, from which Yama Dwitiya takes its name.
Regional household practice โ The tilak, the meal and the return gift are carried by family custom rather than by a fixed textual prescription.
How At home, step by step
- The sister applies the tilak and performs aarti for the brother.
- She feeds him a meal she has prepared, and he gives a gift.
- Where there is no brother or sister present, the observance is kept with a cousin or, in some households, addressed to the moon.
What you'll need
- Roli, rice and a ghee lamp for the tilak thali
- Sweets and the prepared meal
- A coconut, in several regional forms
Fasting and breaking the fast
The sister commonly eats only after the tilak and the brother's meal.
Fasting guidance here describes traditional practice. It is not medical advice โ if you are pregnant, diabetic, on medication or unwell, ask a doctor about your own circumstances.
Personal In your region
- North India yours
The tilak and the meal, with the Yamuna association often recited. - Bengal (Bengali)
Bhai Phota, with a sandalwood-and-curd phota applied to the forehead and a formal vow recited. - Maharashtra (Marathi)
Bhau Beej, with the ovalani aarti; where no brother is present the moon is honoured instead.
For children
Sisters put a tilak on their brothers' foreheads and give them a big meal, and the brothers give a present back. It is the last day of the Diwali week.
Common questions
- Is this the same as Raksha Bandhan?
- No โ different month, different rule, different act. Raksha Bandhan is Shravana Purnima and the sister ties a thread; Bhai Dooj is Kartik Shukla Dwitiya and the sister applies a tilak and feeds her brother. The relationship is the same; the observances are not.
- What if there is no brother?
- The tradition already answers this. In Maharashtra the moon is honoured in the brother's place; elsewhere a cousin or a close family friend receives the tilak. The observance is not conditional on having a sibling.
This guide has not yet been reviewed by a named scholar or practising priest. The dates and times on this page come from the calculation engine and are independent of it; the explanatory text is editorial and may not reflect your family's practice. Tell us if something is wrong.