Bhai Dooj in Diwali festival
DIWALI is not only the complementary of color but also the supplementary of brother and sister love. The love is not far from the person’s heart. Love is boundary-less which is spread without boundary.
No, the person is away and is the protest against love. People are seeking the love from everyone. The son seeks the mother love and daughter wants parents affection and boyfriend wants beloved love.
The network of love is like the sky of the earth which is presented everywhere. The relationship is combined and survives only due to presence of love. If the love is absent in the relations, the relations will be no more lasting. It evaluates your intensity either the person is full of love or hate.
The man is only respected if he or she smells and behave like the flower, and disrespected if the same thing is the lack or have the attitude like the thorns of a flower. men are bound with the circle of love are also the production of love. They are forming the new aspects of loving that will be better for the relationship.
Similarly, it is shown mostly in any festival. The love of brother and sister is shown in the Diwali fifth day which is also called as Bhai dhooj. This love is brother and sister love which describes that how much the love is deeper between brother and sister.
This is also celebrated as a festival of brother and sister. The love of a brother to sister and sister to brother is heartily transferred and shown .putting the tika in the forehead of brother by sister worshipping the brother and wishing only the brightness in their future.
This festival also focuses on the rights and duties of the brother. Brother also presents gifts and exchanged the mala. Presenting the gift to sister, make the relationship more strong. This festival is called by different names in different parts of India and Nepal.
The name of Bhai Dooj in a different region is:
• Bhayya Duj (Hindi)
• Bhagini Hasta Bhojana (Sanskrit)
• Yama Dwitiya
• Sodara Bidige (Karnataka)
• Bhai Phota (Bengal)
• Bhai-Tika (Nepal)
• Bhav-Bij (Maharashtra)
• Karthigai
Meaning and Introduction of Bhai Dooj
As Diwali is the festival of lights, which is a five-day long celebration. The fifth or the last day of Diwali is Bhaiya Dooj, popularly known as Bhai Dooj and called with different names.
As Diwali fall in the moon day, the more prosperity is given to this festival for brother and sister.Bhai Dooj falls on the second day after the new moon. And it is a day to pray for the long life of one’s brother, who is referred to as the god and the rakshak of a sister.
This festival marks the love between sisters and brothers and is celebrated to strengthen the bond of care and affection between the two relations, creating the new love and lights. Through the means of this festival, sisters commemorate their brothers with an auspicious tilak or a vermilion mark on their foreheads and give the blessing of goodness.
In return, brothers give gifts to their sisters and he also wishes sister best future and life. The love between brother and sister is the great combination of nail and meat. The children from the same mother never are discriminated with negative feeling looking each other.
The root of love is the mother and father. Diwali adds the color and name on the relations of brother and sister. We can see in the society that there is no love only hate is filled in both brother and sister heart after looking and seeing each other face to face.
But this festival or we can say it as the functions which are included in the package of diwali.this does not describe the relations, it only describes the love which is shown at the time of putting tika on the forehead of brother.and brother also gifts the symbol of love in return.
The essence of the Bhai dooj festival is that it is celebrated to strengthen the love between brothers and sisters. It is a day of food-sharing, gift-giving and reaching out to the innermost depths of the heart with caring and sharing the bunches of lighting love. Brothers and sisters indulge themselves on this day by giving each other gifts and wishes the best life.
Traditionally, Bhai duj is applicable for brothers of married women. Apart from strengthening the bond, it gave the chance for the brother to visit and check on the conditions of his sister at her husband’s place.
It’s the occasion of and the best chance to know the full information about his daughter’s life and home, how is her husband behaving and how is she living. Is she getting difficulties or sorrow in the father in law home?
Away from the mother, the daughter becomes helpless and loves. Mother is the sea of loving their child. So why I think and is, the mother is worshiped and valued as the greater than the god.
Reasons for celebrating this Bhai dhuj has many stories behind it, that might be the story of Krishna and his sister love, story of Yama and Yami etc
Legends of History of Bhai Dooj
Let’s talk about the story details and reality touching to the celebration of Bhai dhuj.
1. Story of god Krishna and his sister Subhadra
Tha avatar of god Vishnu in dwapar yuga in the forms of Krishna lovely called as kanahiya and Makhan chor.krishna is the funny and entertaining man loving all, he was born for killing the powerful demon Naraksura.
All the god and the people on the earth have afraid due to the fair and destruction habits of demon naraksura. Lord Krishna born and killed the great and powerful demon naraksura. Know that Krishna is the es son of devki and basukinath.
after killing Narakasur, the asura king(demon king), went to meet his sister Subhadra. Subhadra welcomed him in the traditional way by performing aarti and putting a tilak on his forehead to welcome him home.
From that epic and the love between Krishna and his sister is indefinite.so to continues the love between brother and sister , this festival is very courage celebrated all over in the India and Nepal.
2. significance of the 2nd day of Krittika
According to the Taittiriya Samhita and Devi Bhagavata, the Raasa of Devas starts in the month of Karttika. Raasa is the creation process in which consciousness is the control center and all others move around it. The axis of the earth moves around it.
Krittika and Vishakha are the two points of intersection of the ecliptic and equator. The earth’s axis moves in a circle in 26,000 years. At the first point, two branches start like the blades of a pair of scissors (krittika) and the opposite point joins the two branches (Devi-shakha or Vishakha).
So the festival Yama-dvitiya is on the second day of Karttika which is symbolized by a pair of brother-sister. This story also signifies the great bond between brother and sister.
Vishakha-pattanam is bounded by 2 rivers Nagavali and Vamshadhara which start from the same place but remain separate throughout journey till sea, so it is Vishakha.
Extra facts.
The second day after the new moon is known as “dooj”
Karttika Purnima is called Raasa-Purnima because Raasa or the creation cycle (in years) starts when the sun enters the equinox point. Historically, this point was also known as Krittika.
Manvantara in Brahmanda Purana, chapter 7
3. story of Yama and Yami
Once upon a time, long long ago, Surya, the sun God, was married to a beautiful princess called Samjna (also pronounced as Sangya). In the course of a year, she presented him with twins. The twins were christened Yama, and Varni or Yamuna and they grew up together.
However, Samjna, after some time, was unable to bear the brilliance of her husband, and so decided to go back to earth. However, she left her shadow, Chaya, her exact replica, behind, so that to Surya, it would appear that she was still there.
Chaya turned out to be a cruel stepmother and was very unkind to the twins. She soon gave birth to her own children and then convinced Surya to drive out Samjna’s twins, Yama and Varni from the heavens. Varni fell to earth and became the river Yamuna, and Yama went to the underworld (hell) and became the Lord of Death.
Many years passed since this incident. Varni married a handsome prince and was content and happy in her life. But she missed her brother and yearned to see him. Yama, too, missed his sister and decided one day to visit her. Overjoyed by news of her brother’s visit, Varni prepared a great feast in his honor.
It was two days into Deepavali so her home was already decorated with lamps. She lovingly prepared a feast, including all the sweets and delicacies that her brother loved. Her husband, the handsome prince, was very happy seeing Varni so dedicatedly preparing a welcome for her brother.
Yama, too, was delighted by his sister’s loving welcome, and the brother and sister spent a pleasant evening in each other’s company, after their long period of separation.
When it was time for Yama to leave, he turned to his sister and said, “Dear Varni, you have welcomed me so lovingly. But I did not bring you a gift. Ask, therefore, for something and it will be yours.”
“Your visit is gift enough,” replied Varni lovingly. “I have no need for anything else.”
But Yama was persistent. “You must let me give you a gift,” he insisted.
“Okay,” agreed on Varni, taking a moment to think. “I ask that all brothers should remember their sisters on this day and visit them if they can, and that, on this day, all sisters should pray for the happiness of their brothers.”
“So be it!” proclaimed Yama, “And I grant all brothers who give their sisters a loving gift on this day a long and healthy life!”. this wishes and sayings become the changation in the festival of a love of brother and sister.
All apart from the celebration of Bhai dhuj, it is celebrated with different names in each state of India. That is described:
Bhai dooj Festival is celebrated in most parts of India, especially northern India. In some states, Bhai Dooj festival is known by different names and in some regions, even the rituals and traditions of Bhai Dooj differ. Yet what is remarkable same is the spirit of the festival.
At all places, Bhai Dooj Festival is celebrated to strengthen the eternal bond of love shared between a brother and her sister. Given below is the short description of the Bhai Dooj Festival as celebrated in major parts of India. Extremely we can give the different name , but its forms and name describe the bond of love between brother and sister that never dies.
Different names in different places.
Bhai Phota or Bhai Fota in West Bengal
In West Bengal, Bhai Duj festival is popularly known as Bhai Phota or Bhai Fota. Sisters’ fast all morning till the ritual is completed. In Bhai Photo, the tilak applied on brother’s forehead is made of ghee, sandalwood (Chandan) paste and kaajal.
The elder of the brother and sister gives the younger ones rice and durba, a type of grass. Rice is a symbol of plenty and the evergreen durba is symbolic of longevity. Kheer and coconut laddoos are a must-eat in Bhai Photo.
Bhai Tika or Bhai Teeka in Nepal
Bhai Tika or Bhai Teeka is the popular name for Bhai Duj ceremony in Nepal. Some also know this festival as Bhai Tihar. This is because Tihar is the name for Diwali in Nepal and Bhai Tika falls on the fifth day of Diwali Festival.
In Bhai Tika a special ‘Paanch Rangi Tika’ consisting of five colors (red, green, blue, yellow and white) is applied on brother’s forehead. Her sister also draws mandaps in the name of the God using Doob grass and then carry out the Tika ceremony.
The custom symbolizes that no one can even Lord Yama can cross the boundary guarded by a loving sister. All the brother living far from daughter comes must take Tika from the sister’s hand.
Bhathru Dwithiya or Bhatri Ditya
Bhai Dooj is popularly known as Bhathru Dwithiya or Bhatri Ditya At several places. Here ‘Bhathru’ or ‘Bhati’ means brother while ‘Dwithiya’ or ‘Ditya’ symbolizes that Bhai Dooj is celebrated on the second day after the new moon.
Brothers’ visit their sisters’ on this day to carry out the ceremony. A popular custom of the occasion is ‘Bhagini Hastha Bhojanam’. This means that brothers’ must part take food prepared by their sister.
Yamadwitheya
Bhaidooj Festival is also known as Yamadwitheya In some places in Northern India, This name comes from the popular legend of Lord Yamaraj associated with the festival.
The story goes that when Lord Yamaraj received tika from his sister Yami he was so much impressed with the affectionate gesture that he announced that brothers’ who receives tika from their sister on the auspicious ‘dooj’ day will be blessed with a long life.
Bhav Bij / Bhaubeej in Maharashtra and Goa
Bhai Dooj Festival is popularly known as Bhai Bij or Bhaubeej amongst the Marathi speaking community in Maharashtra and Goa. Here sisters’ draw a special square shaped space on the floor, but before allowing the brother to sit in this square he is made to eat a bitter fruit called Karith.
The highpoint of Bhau beej celebrations is the delicious Basundi Poori or Shrikhand Poori. The custom comes from the legend that says Lord Krishna tasted this fruit before he embarked on his mission to kill demon Narakasura.
Bhai Beej / Bhai Bij in Gujarat
Bhai Dooj Festival is popularly known as Bhai Beej or Bhai Bi In the Gujarati language. Just as in Bhai Dooj celebrations in rest of India, sisters’ apply sacred tika on brother’s forehead, perform aarti of him and pray for his long life. Brothers’ in turn bless their sisters and indulge them Bhai Beej gifts. Also, he can give the best wishes.
Bhai Dooj in Bihar
In Bihar, its different way of celebration, believe it or not, sisters’ begin Bhai Dooj celebrations by helping choicest of curses on their brothers! Having done that, they pick their own tongues as punishment, with a thorny, wild fruit and ask for their brothers’ forgiveness for the courses, and also for past mistakes.
Brothers’ then bless their sisters and pray for their welfare. The brothers swallow a few grains of bajri with water, before tasting yummy sweets from their sisters’ hands.
If you are brother or sister, its must necessary to know how is it celebrated. I have given you the pack of information.
How to celebrate Bhai Dooj
If the brother is away from the home or if the daughter is married and living in their own home then, sisters request their brothers to come to their home for celebrating this festival with their beloved dishes. Sisters, on this day, pray to God to give blessings to their brothers to be protected from all the problems and bad fortune.
All the difficulties will be washed and the way of the walking path will full of happiness and respect. The brothers got the stars from the sky by wishing the best by their sisters. However, brothers follow their responsibilities towards their loving and caring sisters, brought the new saree and even the eating dishes with the new item including the love of mothers.
Sisters make a seat for their brothers by the flour of rice sit on this and receive a ceremony and makes this festival rewindable. They worship the hands of brother by applying the paste of rice and Sindoor on their forehead.
Then, sister offers flower of Kaddu, betel leaves, betel nut and coins in the palms of their brother. Sisters chant mantras by pouring water on the palm. The application of Kalawa in the hand, Tilak, and Aarti are performed. Sisters lit a lamp facing the south direction.
It is considered that it is very lucky to see the flying kite in the sky to get fulfilled the wishes requested by the God for the longevity of the brother.
This festival also joins the past memory of brother and sister. In the small or in the child age , there is great love between the brother and sister. If the brother is hurt by anything or by anyone, then the sister also fights with them and care the hurts of the brother.
Similarly, the sister is also so much cared by the brother in the child age when someone teases his sister. When someone abuses his sister then, the brother fights with them.
This also reminds the past love of brother and sister. If there is absent of love, the brother and sister started to curse each other. But these types of activities are shown least. The love of brother and sister is bound also by the festival of Raksha Bandhan.
At some place in India such as the Haryana, Maharashtra where the festival is normal to celebrate, the sister without brother (who has no brother), celebrate the particular occasion by worshipping the Hindu God Moon instead of brother. Sisters apply mehndi on their hands at this day as their custom and tradition.
Sisters who are far away from their brothers, make pray to the God moon, take aarti for the happiness and prosperity in the life of their brothers. Whereas, brothers send return gifts and lots of love to their sisters through the email, post or by other means.
This is the main reason why all children make a call to the moon by the name of Chandamama. The moon also increases their lights on the flow of earth. Things to do are primely managed by the brother and sister from their sides.
The great respect is done in the sister home.and the festival and the norms start to works. love is full in the home of sister’s heart and in the home after getting the brother from a long time.
Importance of Bhai dhuj more are
Bhaiya Dooj is a most prominent and legendary festival of India when sisters make a pray to God for their dearest brothers to get along living and prosperous life.
Sisters perform puja and tika ceremony as well as gets return gifts from brothers. It is also called in India at various places as Bhau Beej (in the Goa, Maharashtra, and Karnataka), Bhai Tika (in Nepal), Bhathru Dwithiya, Bhau-beej, Bhai Phota (in Bengal), and Ningol Chakuba (in Manipur).
It is the most celebrated festival in India which is enjoyed two days after the main Diwali festival. But this year Bhai Dooj 2016 would be celebrated in India on 1st of November, on Tuesday.
According to the Gregorian calendar, it falls on the 2nd day of Shukla Paksha in the month of Kartika (between October and November). All the sisters awaken very early in the morning, worship and pray to God and Goddesses for the better future and health of their brothers.
After puja ritual celebration takes place including tika ceremony by putting vermillion, dahi, and rice on their forehead. After this ceremony, they do aarti and offer sweet and a glass of water to eat and drink. Finally, they exchange gifts and take blessing by touching the feet of elders pointing tika and mala to each other.
It is also celebrated outside the country all over the world and in different religions with different names in different month and times. It is just like the Raksha Bandhan festival to increase the bond of love among brothers and sisters.
At this auspicious day, sisters make prayer to God for the well-being and welfare of their special brothers while brothers offer gifts according to their strength in order to show their love and care for their loving sisters.
There are the variety of stories and legends which are related to the origin and celebration of this special occasion that has discussed above.
But it’s also celebrated with following importance:
But it’s also celebrated with following importance:
1. Sharing and caring:
The coordination of brother and sister can’t be differentiated by the world. The will be helped by their owners only. Hoping the world will paste the cuteness in the wound will be a wrong and bad distraction for yourself. Men in the present forget you in second if you do do his ordering tasks.
They only want to use and take more and more works from you. Income should be more than investment, that the people think. So, this time, you get a lot of chance to share your feeling care your sister as much you can. The salary can be expended on the gift of presenting for the sister on the auspicious day of Bhai dhuj.
The long time of no seeing also creates the wish to visits and see the face of the sister if your sister is your best. No one will say something if the mistakes were taken and done by you, this festival cleanses all the sins of brother that have done in their life. The sister all fuels the brothers pocket with full of wishes.
2. Cultural and tradition:
As Diwali is the main festival of Hindu, same as it also like the festival for brothers and sisters. It is also celebrated with the wish and also compulsory due to cultural and tradition. On the last day of Diwali people have to share their love with brothers and sisters.
It’s also necessary to make and exist the better relationship between brother and sister. if the man exists , cultural also have to exist. The runner of culture is the man who follows the given tasks by the god. Man is bound by the rope of culture and tradition.
If the person is kept free without the constitution, then the man will behave like the animal, losing they’re the sense of humor. so there is formed the cultural and tradition constitution that makes man the pure. And this also the needs of man for entertaining and the way of joining the soul with god.
man wants to see the god but the god is invisible and present everywhere. The pure heart and the true devotee can only see the god. Due to the boundary of cultural norms and regulation, we have to take part in celebrating the festival, i.e. bhai dhuj or Bhai Tika.
3. Best wishes:
No one is own if there is no conduction of any relation. And nobody wishes you best. Because the people even don’t have time to talk then how can they wish you. It seems that in the society the people are sad due to the happiness of neighbor and from their own problems.
People don’t want to see your success while struggling, but they clap on your voice after becoming the success. they are not the man with humanity. These types of person do many things in their life but don’t get anything.
So to become great, your strength only determines but makes the value of people, how much you are respected and get good wishes. Relating to these factors we can evaluate this festival and takes it as the great source of wishes by the sister for achieving the brother greatly
4. Unity in the family:
The family is the branches of management of the home. The family is the lights of the home. And the family and the home have peace if there are good relations among all the members. If anyone of the family members is not happier then there starts noise and fight.
It is said that the goddess of wealth goddess Lakshmi will not sit in the quarreling home. She seeks peace and loveable home. It also determines the great sense to the family for making quiet.
And this festival creates the programs and bridges of combination and continuing the love and peace in the family due to taking part by all the members.
5. Continues the relationship:
The past memory can’t be forgotten even by wanting due to spending a long time togetherly. All the past events will take a place in the mind, that show our past relations and love among each other. So it is also the new bridges to continuing the love and relationship of brother and sister after getting married.
Bhai Dhooj Festival in India and Nepal
Bhai Dhooj is the festival of mostly Indian Hindus. In Nepal, it is called Bhai Tika and is celebrated much more popularly. It is celebrated in the month of October and in Hindu calendar of Bikram Sambat it is celebrated on the second day of the Kartik Krishna Paksha. It is celebrated along with Diwali and Tihar.
The celebration in India is similar to RakhsyaBhandhan with the activities did, however, the activities and rituals of Bhai Dhooj hold different religious as well as social significance when compared to RakhshyaBhandahan.
Different from Nepali Bhaitika, the Bhai Dhooj was previously only implied to the sisters who have married and gone to live with their husband. This was celebrated to erase the physical distance between brothers and sisters caused by the marriage of the sister and hence bring closeness and importance to the sister-brother relationship.
The festival of Bhai Dhooj is called out by many names differing from the culture and social values of each society. Many societies have their respective name or term for this festival. Especially in the large country like India, the festival has much more names.
Bhai Dhooj is called Bhai Dhooj in entire Northern part of India and observed during Diwali. The celebration is highest in the places like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and Maithili.
Bhai Dhooj in Nepal is called Bhai Tika. It is celebrated in the month of October after biggest Hindu festival of Nepal called Dashain. It is celebrated highly by the Newars, tharus, Bhahuns, Chhetris of Nepal.
In Nepal the RakshyaBhandhan is not celebrated with major enthusiasm as a festival of brother and sister, however, Bhai Tika is considered as a major celebration of the relation of brothers and sisters.
Bhai Dhooj in Bengali is called Bhai Ponta and is celebrated on the second day of the new year after the worship of Goddess of Destruction Kali.
Among the people of Gujrat, Maharastra, Goa, and Karnataka where the people speak Marathi, Konkani and Gujarati, the festival of Bhai Dhooj is called as Bhai Bij or Bhai Beej or BhavBij.
Other names of Bhai Dhooj include Yamadwitheya, BhatruDviteeya or BhatriDitya.
Bhai meaning brother and dhooj representing the second day after the new moon, two combined it gives a clear meaning to what the festival is related about. It is the festival when sisters worship their brothers for their welfare, happiness and long life on the second day after the new moon in the month of Kartik.
On this day number of ritual are performed by the sister in the process of worshipping their brother. This festival is thus celebrated to encourage the relation of brothers and sisters and their mutual love and respect and care. There is a number of reason why the festival of Bhai Dhooj has celebrated both mythological reasons and social reasons.
In terms of the social reason, the festival is celebrated because it is believed the relation of siblings especially brother and sister are sacred. And this relation is one of the factors that keep the family intact and together.
Brothers are considered very protective of their sisters and sisters are considered to be careful and loveful towards their brothers.
This relation between brothers and sisters is believed to get raised once the brother and sisters get time to spend together which is denied to them by many factors of life such as work, jobs, marriage and other factors. sisters who are unable to meet their brothers send their tika – the spot of protection – in an envelope by post.
Virtual tilaks and Bhai Dooj e-cards have made it even easier for brothers and sisters, who’s far away from each other, especially remember their siblings on this propitious occasion.
According to the popular Hindu mythology, Lord Krishna was in an intense fight with the demon Narakasur. Narakasur refers to the meaning the devil of hell or even conqueror of hell. Lord Krishna in this intense fight defeated Narakasur and visited his sister Subhadra. Subhadra welcomed her brother with sweets and flowers.
After hearing about the intense battle of Lord Krishna and demon Narakasur she put tilak or tika in the forehead of Krishna and said that her love towards her brother will always help him win. This represented the love and care of Subhadra for Krishna. This is also considered the origin of the festival of Bhai Dhooj.
Mythologically, this day is celebrated because commemorating the length of Yamuna to save her sick brother for the God of death. Yamaraj – God of Death when visited the Yamuna, she performed a ritual with garlands and oils and foods and tika.
In the ritual, Yamuna worshipped his brother as well as Yama. She drew the line of oil around her brother and prayed that her brother remained unharmed until this line is dried. Next, she took small twigs and broke them in half and asked God to break her brothers’ enemy like these twigs.
Next, Yamuna made a garland of turfgrass and flower that doesn’t wilt. The Yamuna asked Yama to not take her brother’s soul until the flower wilts. She then put tika on the forehead of her brother with seven different colors depicting the life of her brother to be as wondrous as a rainbow.
Yama waited for the pray to be fulfilled. But the oil took time to dry and the garland didn’t wilt. It was not until next year that the flower wilted. Seeing this devotion and great lengths of Yamuna Yamaraj was very pleased and said that whoever receives Tika on this day will not be killed or will not have to face death on this day. Thus, this day is called Bhai Tika.
Yet another story behind the origin of Bhai Doojis as follows. The Enlightenment of VardhamanaMahavira: For Jains, Diwali commemorates the enlightenment of VardhamanaMahavira(the twenty-fourth and last Tirthankaras of the Jains and the founder of modern Jainism) which is said to have occurred on Oct. 15, 527 B.C.
This is one more reason to engage in Diwali celebrations for pious Jains and other than the purpose of commemoration, the festival stands for the celebration of the emancipation of human spirit from earthly desires.
This festival first signifies that the male members of a family or the men of the society should not eat the meal cooked by their wife. They should rather visit their sister and eat the meal prepared by them. If they do not have blood sisters, the practice is approved to be done with the cousin sister and perform the ritual as with their own sister.
In case the female does not have any brother they can have the same ritual with cousin brother or with any man she considers a brother. And even that is not a suiting scenario then the female can worship the Moon considering it as her brother and perform the rituals.
Whereas, brothers send return gifts and lots of love to their sisters through the email, post or by other means. Since brothers of the mother are mama to their children in Hindu culture and if the mother worships the moon the moon becomes their mama.
Moon is called Chanda in Indian native tongue. Hence the popular word Chandamama came to life to call out moon for small children.
First, the sisters invite their brothers to their home for the celebration of Bhai Dhoj. The sisters make the dishes that their brother like and enjoy the most.
Once the brother arrives at her home, she makes the brother sit in a seat made by the flour of rice. Then she worships the hand of her brother by applying the paste of rice and Sindoor a crimson color powder.
Then she offers flower of Kaddu and other ritual items in the hand of the brother. She then chants special words called mantras that are written in the religious books as she pours the water on the palm of her brother.
Now, she performs the arati. Aarti is the special way of worshipping in which lit oil lamps made of cotton is circled in the clockwise direction and prayed to god. It is believed that the heat of the oil lamp will act as a protective layer to the brother.
This is done by the sister facing south and the brother facing north. In some places, sisters who do not have their own brothers also apply heena to their hand as a custom or tradition of the festival. This heena is customary in the Haryana, Maharastra of India.
This festival brings a lot of happiness, affection, and warmth between brother and sister and their relationship. This festival is thus valid by social, cultural and religious reason and celebrated with utmost enthusiasm all across India and Nepal.
Writer: Dipak Kumar Sah
