Bhai Dooj 2018: Tilak muhurat, significance of the festival celebrating sister-brother bond

Bhai Dooj, a festival that celebrates the beautiful bond between siblings, is celebrated two days after Diwali. On this day, sisters pray for their brothers’ well-being and long life, while brothers vow to protect their sisters.

The auspicious day, also known as Bhai Phota or Bhau Bheej, is celebrated on the second day after the new moon or Shukla Paksha in the Hindu lunar month of Kartik (falling mostly between the months of October and November). This year, it will be observed on November 9.

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There are two popular legends behind this festival. The first goes – When Lord Krishna went to meet his sister Subhadra after killing Narakasur, he was greeted by Subhadra putting a tilak or vermillion on his forehead, followed by an aarti.

The second story states – when the God of Death, Yamaraj, visited his sister Yamuna, she was so thrilled, that she welcomed her brother by applying tilak on his forehead. She also offered him sweets and gifts and in return, he gave her a boon that whoever celebrated Bhai Dooj with his sister and took a bath in the holy river of Yamuna would never go to hell.

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Bhai Dooj puja timings:

Bhai Dooj Tika or Tilak Muhurat = 1:09pm to 3:17pm
Duration = 2 hours 8 minutes
Dwitiya Tithi Begins = 9:07pm on 8th November 2018
Dwitiya Tithi Ends = 9:20pm on 9th November 2018