Bhai Dooj or Bhai Phonta is a festival, celebrated on the second lunar day of Shukla Paksha (brilliant fortnight) according to Hindu calendar on the month of Kartika. On this day, brothers give gifts to their sisters. The entire ceremony represents the task of a brother to secure his sisters, in addition to a sister’s blessings for her brother.
The festival, which falls after Diwali, is celebrated in a grand manner throughout various areas of the nation. This year, it falls on November 16, which is a Monday. It also marks the second day of the new year. The very first day, a day prior to Bhai Dooj is celebrated as Govardhan Puja. Bhai Dooj also marks the end of the 5 day Diwali celebration period which starts with Dhanteras.
Carrying forward the event in traditional style, sisters carry out arti for their brother and use a red tika on the brother’s forehead. This tika ceremony on the event of Bhai dooj signifies the sis’s sincerest prayers for the happy and long life of her brother and treat them with presents. In return, elder brothers bless their sisters and may treat them likewise with gifts or cash.
Significance
Just like Raksha Bandhan, Bhai Dooj celebrates the bond of love and security in between brother and sister. Sisters wish for their brothers’ long life and good health put a mark of vermillion ‘tika’ on their forehead and give gifts, no matter young or old. Festival special delicacies are also prepared, as families get together to have a hearty meal and share pleasure and laughter.
The festival of Bhai Dooj has an actual meaning connected to it. ‘Bhai’ implies brother and ‘Dooj’ implies the second day after the new moon which is a day of celebration.
History
There’s also a historical note behind the celebration of this festival. According to Hindu mythology, Yamraj, the god of death, arrived at his sister’s place on this day.. His sister Yamuna, also known with the name Yami, welcomed him with aarti, give him sweets and apply tilak on his forehead. Overwhelmed by her love, Yamraj stated that every brother who receives an aarti and tilak from sister would never go to hell. According to another story, Lord Krishna visited his sister Subhadra’s place after killing the demon Nakasura. She welcomed him with flowers and sweets and applied tikka on his forehead.
It is stated that both Yama-Yami, the offspring of Surya Narayana and Sandhya, are brothers and sisters. Delighted with the austerities carried out by Yami i.e. Yamuna in Satyuga, Narayana stated that I will descend in Dwapara as Shri Krishna and select you. This is the factor that while taking Shri Krishna to Gokul by Vasudeva, Yamuna ji touched the feet of Shri Krishna. Dharmaraj had actually come to meet Yamuna on Duj, gave the groom.
Celebration
Even though the day will be celebrated a little differently, it does not suggest the festival spirit has to damper. If you can not visit your siblings throughout the pandemic, or have bros living far off, indulge them with the most caring and choicest of messages and greetings! We have selected a few of them for you to send across to your liked ones this Bhai Dooj. You can also share these charming festival greetings on your social media profiles!
Bhai Dooj Date and Timings
Bhai Dooj 2020 date
This year, Bhai Dooj will be celebrated today.
Bhai Dooj 2020 Tithi
The Dwitiya Tithi starts at 7:06 AM on November 16 and ends at 3:56 AM on November 17.
Bhai Dooj 2020 puja time (Shubh Muhurat)
The Bhai Dooj rituals must be performed between 1:10 PM to 3:18 PM.
Bhai Dooj Puja Vidhi
- Rise early, take a bath, wear fresh or new clothes.
- Make all the arrangements for the puja.
- Please note: the rituals must be performed during the shubh muhurat mentioned above. Check the katha here.
- Cover one of the chowkis with a red cloth and place the idols of Shri Ganesha, Lord Vishnu and his consort, Lakshmi.
- Light an oil lamp facing south and an incense stick.
- Begin the puja by invoking Lord Ganesha and seek his blessings.
- Then offer flowers, dakshina and a sweet or fruit (banana or any other fruit) to him.
- Then offer prayers to Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi and seek their blessings. Offer flowers, paan, supari, coconut, dakshina and naivedya or bhog.
- After praying to the deities, make your brother sit on the other chowki facing north-west.
- Give him the kerchief to cover his head.
- Then apply a tika on your brother’s forehead with the roli and chandan
- Give the whole coconut (without its shell) to your brother and ask him to hold in his right hand as you tie the kalava around his wrist.
- Then perform the aarti, put the akshat on his head and conclude the rituals by making him have a sweet.
Here we have collected special Bhai Dooj Wishes, messages and Images for you.
-Bhai, Together we laughed, and together we cried, the affection we share for each other is immense. Cheers to relive all the beautiful memories of childhood. Happy Bhai Dooj!
-You are the only one on this earth with whom I can share my pains, fears and happiness. Thanks for being a very understanding, inspiring and wonderful brother. Happy Bhai Dooj!
-Thanks brother, for making me feel safe and blessed at all times. Happy Bhai Dooj!
-Bhaiyaa, you are someone who I always admire and look up to at times of joy as well as sorrow. You comfort me and encourage me during tough times and ensure I keep going with my life with smiles. I wish you good health and success brother. Happy Bhai Dooj!
-You mean the whole world for me bhai. May the beautiful relationship we share strengthen our bond more and more. Best wishes for a great Bhai Dooj!
-May this Bhai Dooj strengthen our bond more than ever and bring joy and prosperity to our lives. Let us pray for each other and wish we stay protected all the time in everything. Best wishes for Bhai Dooj!
-You are a special brother that none other is blessed with on this earth. I always pray for your long life and good health. Cheer up and stay blessed on this Bhai Dooj and always!
-My Dear Brother! Thanks for spreading smiles everywhere and making life so beautiful, meaningful and happy. I always remember you and pray for you. May you live long and happy always. Happy Bhai Dooj
-You are not only my beloved brother, but also my best friend. You stand by me when I am alone, you make me feel happy when I am low. Thanks for being a special one for me, always Dear Brother. Happy Bhai Dooj.
-Wish you the days that bring you happiness infinite and a life that’s prosperous and bright! Have a special and unforgettable Bhai Dooj this year.
-May this Bhai Dooj add sweetness to your life and bring you endless joy. May our wonderful relationship be the guiding post to lead our lives in our independent worlds. Best wishes for Bhai Dooj!
-Your love for me reminds me of the love of Lord Krishna for his sister Subhadra. You have always sought my welfare and happiness and I pray for you on this wonderful day brother. May you live a happy, long, and wonderful life.
-You were always my best friend, looking out for me and making sure the path I travelled on was smooth. Even if I searched the world over, there cannot be a better brother than you and I feel highly proud of this. Happy Bhai Dooj!
-Bhai Dooj is a festival of prayers from sister to brother and the assurance of brother’s protection for her sister. May this year we all celebrate it with even more love and protection for our sisters and brothers. Best wishes on this Bhai Dooj.
-Dear Brother, my love for you is measureless. My blessings to you and prayers for you are unlimited. Dear Brother you will always be my friend, a guide and a hero I always admire and take inspiration from. Happy Bhai Dooj.
-I feel so proud and blessed to have a special and most wonderful brother like you. You are my best companion and guide during all times. You inspire me and keep me going on unaffected by the difficulties of life. I always pray for you brother. Stay blessed and happy always. Happy Bhai Dooj.
-You are the best brother one can have on this earth and this feeling makes me feel blessed and protected. I convey you my special prayers and thanks on this wonderful occasion of Bhai Dooj. Have a great day and a wonderful year ahead.
-My brother is my best friend. You stand by me when I am alone you make feel happy when I am low. Thanks for being for me always Dear Brother. Happy Bhai Dooj.
-This is for the most wonderful sister of this world, Thank you sister for always being there on my side and for helping me in those infinite ways which I cannot even remember. Happy Bhai Dooj!
-Bhai Dooj is a festival of prayers from sister to brother, brother’s protection for her sister. May this year we all celebrate it with even more love and protection for our sisters and brothers. Best wishes on this Bhai Dooj.
-My love for you is measureless. My blessings to you are unlimited. Dear Brother you will always be my friend a guide and a hero. Happy Bhai Dooj.
10 best Bhai Dooj Gifts or Bhai Phonta Gift Ideas
Here we are with a list of some amazing and unique ideas for gifting your sibling a present on Bhai Dooj. Take a look:
Chocolate and Goodies
Chocolate. Who doesn’t crave chocolates? Research shows that chocolate has a hormone balance property. There are many types of chocolate dark, milk, or white chocolate. Based on your sister’s choice of the chocolate gift her some chocolates. Cookies, chips, etc. Pamper her with some chocolate and junk food this Bhai dooj. One of the best Bhai dooj gift ideas for 2020.
Smart watch
A smart watch is one of the smartest options one can give to their millennial sibling. This is not just stylish but very useful too. Now a days there are different range of smart watches available in the market for you to choose. They vary from price to price therefore, it will also be easier to choose the one which suits your budget.
Portable gaming console
If your sibling is a gamer and loves playing games on his phone, gift him a portable gaming console. Trust us he or she will love you even more after this. The range of the cost starts from 2,000 and it is easily available online.
If you are unaware of the choices of your siblings then gifting a gift card is an intelligent option. A gift card can be of any particular apparel store or an online shopping site. This will let them pick whichever gift they like and you can even move ahead of the tradition of exchanging money envelopes.
Bluetooth speaker
Bluetooth speaker is one of the best new age gifts to present your brother or sister. It hs different price range and even comes in an eco-friendly version as well. So order yours now
Customized T shirt
This can be an interesting gift to give as you can customize the T shirt with beautiful graphics and quotes. Now a days there are a lot of options of personalizing such stuff online.
Purses and Slings bags
We ladies have so many things to carry around. Our purses have literally everything we need from laptops to cosmetics. It will be an absolutely brilliant idea to gift your sis a purse or fancy sling bags. Different occasions call for different types of purses and sling. If you want you can gift her ladies’ wallet also. So, this Bhai dooj gift your elder sister purses or slings or wallet.
Jewellery, Best Bhai dooj gift for sister
Jewellery women/ girls love jewellery we want to match every accessory. So jewellery is extremely important for us. Jewellery love can be traditional or modern and so many options to choose from neckpiece, earrings, bangles, and what not? So gift your sisters this Bhai dooj some jewellery
Cosmetics
Just like jewellery cosmetics are an integral part of a girl’s life. We just can’t survive without cosmetics. So gift your teenage sisters or elder sister a cosmetic hamper this Bhai dooj. You can gift her things like eye makeup, lipsticks, etc. Along with the cosmetic hamper, you can also gift her spa and grooming hamper like shower gel, loofah, scented oil, etc. One of the best gift for Bhai dooj.
Home Decor
We girls love to do home decor and normally our brains are more on the creative side. And usually, we can come with brilliant ideas for home decoration. Home decor has so many things to choose from simple cushions to lampshades to lovely wall paintings and really fits in all our budget starting from 200 INR to the sky is the limit buy her something quirky or traditional or elegant home decor items for this Bhai dooj.
