Bhai Dooj Celebration
To carry out the ceremony, sisters will arrange a special Puja Thali. Sisters wake up early in the morning to prepare delicious dishes for their brothers on the auspicious day of Bhai Dooj.
On the occasion of Bhai Dooj, girls wear colorful costumes and decorate the puja thalis. The effort taken for decorating the thali will be compensated by brothers with presents and gifts. On that day sisters competes each other to show their best in decorating thalis. Bhai Dooj is known by various names like ‘Bhav-Bij’ in Maharashtra, ‘Bhai Phota’ in West Bengal, ‘Bhai Beej’ in Gujarat. Other popular names of Bhai Dooj are Bhathru Dwithiya, Bhai-Tika, Bhatri Ditya and Yamadwitheya.
If the sister is married, the brother visits his sister on the day of Bhai Dooj as a custom. The brother has to sit and allow his sister to carry out the ceremony. The Bhai Dooj puja is performed in a puja room and the sister decorates the thali with mithai, batshaas, roli and rice along with coconut. The thali can be also decorated with colored grains, felt paper, flowers, poster paints, buds, leaves, petals, sequins and beads. Sister applies a tika and akshat on the forehead of her brother and performs arti on him. Sister will give sweets in the mouth of brother and also give gifts to him. During this ceremony, sister prays for brother’s long life, health and happiness. In return the brother blesses his sister and gives her cash or gifts.