Bhai Bij

Bhai Bij, also known as Bhai Dooj or Yama Dwitiya, celebrates the affection and well-being shared between sisters and brothers. A widely told story says that Yamuna repeatedly invited her brother Yama, the lord of death, to visit her home. When he finally came on Kartik Shukla Dwitiya, she welcomed him with a ceremonial meal, tilak and loving hospitality. Pleased by her affection, Yama granted a blessing that brothers who receive such sincere welcome and prayer from their sisters on this day should be blessed with well-being. The story gives the festival its traditional name Yama Dwitiya. In Gujarati families, sisters invite brothers, perform aarti or tilak, offer sweets and food, and pray for their long and healthy lives; brothers respond with gifts and affection. Like Raksha Bandhan, the custom has evolved into a celebration of mutual family care, but Bhai Bij has its own place at the close of the Diwali season.

Bhai Bij is valued for devotion, family tradition and the spiritual or seasonal meaning attached to the day.

The brother goes to the sister's house rather than the other way round, and is fed there. She puts a tilak on him, does aarti, and he gives a gift. Where there is no brother or no sister the moon is taken for one, which is the older form of it.

Bhai Dooj across the north, Bhau Beej in Maharashtra, Bhai Phonta in Bengal - where the sister fasts until the tilak is done. Rakshabandhan in Shravan is the other half of the same relationship, kept in the brother's house rather than the sister's.