Bhaiya Dooj 2120: Melbourne, Victoria

Bhāī Dūj (also known as Yama Dvitīyā, Bhāī Phoṭā, or Bhāubīj) falls on the second day of Kārtika's bright fortnight, two days after Dīpāvalī. It is the most beloved annual celebration of the bond between brother and sister: the sister applies a tilaka (auspicious mark) on her brother's forehead and prays for his long life, while the brother gifts her tokens of love and pledges his protection.

The festival's origin is traced to Yamunā inviting her brother Yama, the god of death, to her home for a meal. Pleased by her hospitality and love, Yama declared that any brother who receives a tilaka from his sister on this day and bathes in the Yamunā river will be freed from the fear of untimely death. That is why the day is called Yama Dvitīyā.

In West Bengal and Bihar the festival is called Bhāī Phoṭā and comes one day after Kālī Pūjā. Sisters prepare special sweets and perform āratī before applying the sandal-paste tilaka. In Maharashtra it is called Bhāubīj; sisters light a lamp, draw a raṅgolī, and seat the brother ceremonially before the pūjā.