Festivals and celebrationsSouth AsiaHindu
Bhai Dooj
In its own language: भाई दूज
A Hindu festival of sibling bonds marked by forehead markings, feasts and blessings
Bhai Dooj is a Hindu festival celebrating the bond between brothers and sisters, observed across India, Nepal and Bangladesh during Diwali or Tihar. Sisters honour their brothers with ritual forehead marks, protective prayers, gifts and festive home-cooked meals.
When is Bhai Dooj in 2026?
Bhai Dooj 2026 is on Wednesday, 11 November 2026. Other years: 2027, Sunday, 31 October 2027; 2028, Thursday, 19 October 2028.
Bhai Dooj is an annual Hindu festival celebrating the affection and shared obligations between sisters and brothers. Observed mainly at the end of the Diwali and Tihar festivities, sisters place a sacred mark on their brothers' foreheads, offer prayers for their longevity, and prepare special feasts. In response, brothers offer blessings alongside gifts or money, strengthening family ties across generations.
Rites of the day
The central ceremony begins when sisters invite brothers to their homes for an elaborate feast of favorite recipes and sweets. Sisters wave a ceremonial flame before their brothers and apply a colored mark to their foreheads, offering sincere prayers for a long, joyful life. In regions like Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, a dried coconut wrapped in sacred thread is included in this ritual. Brothers express their gratitude and protective devotion by offering gifts or cash, while receiving blessings for safety and prosperity.
Regional customs and variations
Celebrated under various names across South Asia, the day adapts to local traditions. In West Bengal and Bangladesh, known as Bhai Phonta, participants must be at least five years old before taking part in the feast and rites. In Nepal, where it is called Bhai Tika or Kija Puja, sisters mark brothers with a seven-colored vertical stripe and present a garland crafted from globe amaranth blossoms. In western regions like Maharashtra and Gujarat, families hold reunions over dishes such as basundi poori.
Stories and shared devotion
Several sacred narratives inform the festival. One popular account describes Lord Krishna visiting his sister Subhadra after defeating the demon Narakasura, where she welcomed him warmly with floral tributes, sweets, and a protective forehead mark. The festival also holds meaning for women whose brothers live far away or who do not have brothers. In parts of Maharashtra and Haryana, women direct their ceremonial prayers and waving lamps toward the moon, seeking blessings across distances.
How Bhai Dooj is kept
Sisters welcome their brothers into their homes, often cooking a banquet featuring their preferred treats. A prayer ritual is conducted where a sister circles an oil lamp before her brother and marks his forehead with vermilion or multicolored paste. She recites prayers wishing him health, fortune, and long life. Brothers present gifts, cash, and tokens of care to their sisters. In Nepal, sisters also place a garland of globe amaranth flowers around their brothers' necks.
When and where
The festival takes place on the second lunar day of the waxing moon during the Hindu month of Kartika. It concludes the multi-day observances of Diwali in India and Tihar in Nepal, falling in October or November.
Bhai Dooj is observed throughout India, Nepal, and parts of Bangladesh. It is especially prominent across northern India, Bengal, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, and among Nepali communities such as the Newars and Maithils.
What Bhai Dooj means
The festival expresses mutual care, family loyalty, and protection within sibling relationships. The sister's forehead mark and prayers invoke divine protection and longevity for her brother, while his gifts and blessings signify his duty to protect and cherish her throughout life.
On the table
- Basundi poori
- Kheerni poori
Days Bhai Dooj is marked
Bhai Dooj dates: 2026, 2027, 2028
| Year | Bhai Dooj date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Wednesday, 11 November 2026 |
| 2027 | Sunday, 31 October 2027 |
| 2028 | Thursday, 19 October 2028 |
Questions people ask about Bhai Dooj
When is Bhai Dooj in 2026?
Bhai Dooj 2026 is on Wednesday, 11 November 2026. Other years: 2027, Sunday, 31 October 2027; 2028, Thursday, 19 October 2028.
What is Bhai Dooj?
Bhai Dooj is a Hindu festival that honours the bond between sisters and brothers through forehead markings, prayers, exchanges of gifts, and festive family meals.
Where is Bhai Dooj celebrated?
It is widely observed across India, Nepal, and Bangladesh, with distinctive regional names and practices in states such as West Bengal, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh.
What happens if a sister does not have a brother?
In regions such as Maharashtra and Haryana, women without brothers, or whose brothers are far away, perform the prayer ceremony and wave lamps toward the moon, seeking blessings.
See also
Eid al-FitrThe feast that ends Ramadan, opened with morning prayers, sweets and visits home
DiwaliA five-day festival of lights celebrated across India and its diaspora to mark the victory of light over darkness.
NowruzThe Iranian new year at the March equinox, kept with fire, greenery and picnics
MawlidAn annual festival marking the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, marked by poetry, processions and feasts.Good reading and sources
- Bhai Dooj 2018 Date in India: When is Bhai Dooj in 2018The Indian Express, Article
- Bhai Dooj 2020: Know all about the history, significance and celebrations of Yama Dwitiya hereHindustan Times, Article
- Bhai Dooj 2018 Date in India: When is Bhai Dooj in 2018The Indian Express, Article
- Bhai Dooj 2020: Know all about the history, significance and celebrations of Yama Dwitiya hereHindustan Times, Article
- Bhai Dooj on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Bhai Dooj", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryParampara rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-04.
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