The story behind Bhai Dooj
According to the Skanda Purana, Yama had been so consumed by his cosmic duties that he had not visited his sister Yamuna for a very long time. On this day, moved by her invitations, he finally came to…
According to the Skanda Purana, Yama had been so consumed by his cosmic duties that he had not visited his sister Yamuna for a very long time. On this day, moved by her invitations, he finally came to her home; Yamuna welcomed him with a feast, performed his aarti, applied tilak on his forehead, and asked for the boon that any brother who visited his sister on Yama Dwitiya and received her tilak would be granted long life and protection from untimely death. Yama, moved by his sister's love, granted the boon — and from that day Bhai Dooj has been observed as the festival of brothers visiting their sisters and receiving her aarti, tilak, and prayer for their long life.
The ritual mirrors Raksha Bandhan but with reversed direction: where Raksha Bandhan has the sister tying a rakhi on the brother's wrist, Bhai Dooj has the brother coming to the sister's home, where she performs aarti, applies tilak, feeds him sweets, and prays for his long life. The brother offers a gift in return. The two festivals together — one in Shravan, one at the end of Diwali — form the two great annual moments of the sibling bond in Hindu tradition.