Overview
Bhai Dooj, also known as Bhai Tika, Bhaubeej, Bhai Beej, Bhai Phonta or Bhratri Dwitiya, is a Hindu festival that celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters. It is observed on the second lunar day of the Shukla Paksha (bright fortnight) of Kartika, the eighth month of the Vikram Samvat Hindu calendar or the Shalivahana Shaka calendar. The festival falls during the Diwali or Tihar period, and a related observance is also linked with Holi.
The rituals associated with the day are similar in spirit to those of Raksha Bandhan, with sisters performing aarti for their brothers and brothers offering gifts in return. In southern India, the day is observed as Yama Dwitiya. Within the Kayastha community, two Bhai Doojs are celebrated: the more widely known one falls on the second day after Diwali, while a lesser-known observance takes place a day or two after Diwali.
Regional customs vary across India. In Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, a ritual involves the use of a dry coconut, locally referred to as gola, with klewa (a sacred thread) tied around its width, which is used during the aarti performed for the brother. In Bengal, the festival is observed as Bhai Phota, which falls one day after Kali Puja.
The festival is part of the broader cluster of celebrations during the Diwali season and forms an important social and familial occasion in many Hindu households across India and Nepal, where it is associated with Tihar.
References
Adapted from the English Wikipedia article on Bhai Dooj.