Bhaiya Dooj
28th October 2011
Like Raksha Bandhan, Bhaiya Dooj is one of the major festivals of India
Bhaiya Dooj is an important ritual during Diwali and it celebrates the relationship between brother and sister.Usually, the sister brings a couple of puja items in a ‘thaali’ during Bhai Dooj. This involves coconut, batashas, mithai, fruits, seven paans, roli and little rice.
Sister applies a teeka on the brother and gives him a few of the eatables along with a coconut piece, married sisters invite their brothers to their homes or visit her brother’s home on this day or both brother and sister assemble
Legend has it that Lord Yama, the Hindu God of death, after being affectionately welcomed by his sister, Yami, had given the boon that those brothers who receive Tika from their sisters will not have to suffer the pains of hell.
Bhaiya Dooj puja is usually done in the morning.
The Story Of Bhai Dooj
The story goes that once there was a family living in a village that had only a sister and a brother. The sister was very elder to her brother, she got married & After the marriage, the sister never returned to her mother's home. As the brother grew up he terribly missed his sister, especially on the Bhai Dooj day, as he used to see his friends with teeka on their forehead and plates full of sweets.
On one particular Bhai dooj, when the boy had turned young , he inquired from his mother about the reason as to why his sister never visited home after her marriage. The mother replied that she does not come because there is a big forest between this village and the one in which she lives and there is a big river flowing in between. One has to cross the river by boat and then there are wild animals also so many people do not travel through the forest.
The young brother decided to visit his sister on the next Bhai dooj day.
The boy set off and on his way he faced the rising level of river, the danger of snakes,resistance from the mountains,wild animals. He pleaded they can feed on him on his return journey .The poor boy knew now that his days were numbered, still, he eagerly went to meet his only sister. He entered the house, and saw his sister doing the Bhai Dooj puja. The sister on seeing him after such a long time, welcomed her brother with a smile and embraced him. She at once brought lovely fruits and sweet to eat. Performed Bhai dooj rituals & as the days passed, and it was time for the brother to take leave of his sister and brother-in-law the brother narrated the whole incident to his sister and told her that his days were numbered and that he is soon going to die. The sister was shocked, but she decided to accompany him for the return journey. She secretly packed some meat for the tiger, some milk for the snake, flowers of silver and gold for the mountain and some roli and rice for the river.
Both, brother and sister were very happy to escape the dangers of the forest and were anxious to reach home. But before reaching home they met the gypsies who predicted her brother will die very soon. She asked them to tell her some way by which this calamity could be averted. One old suggested that until her brother gets married, she should go on cursing him, right from now on and continuous to curse him all through the wedding and also insists on getting all rituals done to her first, only then this boy can be saved.
She started to curse him and to abuse him. This thing continued even when they reached home. The mother, along with the villagers were very surprised at the nasty behavior of the sister, but no said anything as she was married and had came to her mother's place after a long time.
Soon, the brother's marriage was fixed to a beautiful girl. Still the sister went on cursing. On the wedding day, she insisted that all rituals be performed on her before her brother. The sister insisted that they tie the sehra on her forehead first. She found a small snake in the sehra instead of a string. She pulled out the snake. Next, the sister insisted that the barat should go from the back door and not from the front door and no decorations be made to avoid mishap.
The wedding was finally over and every one including the mother and brother were keen to see the sister leave because of her bad behaviour. Before leaving for her husbands place, the sister narrated the prediction of the gypsies and gave the reason for her bad behavior. Everyone had tears in their eyes and all present said with one voice: 'Let everyone have a sister like her who did this just to save her brother and family from disaster.
Thus, the custom is prevalent that a brother does not go to his sisters house for the teeka; instead the sisters bring or send the teeka to the brother.
Sister applies a teeka on the brother and gives him a few of the eatables along with a coconut piece, married sisters invite their brothers to their homes or visit her brother’s home on this day or both brother and sister assemble
Legend has it that Lord Yama, the Hindu God of death, after being affectionately welcomed by his sister, Yami, had given the boon that those brothers who receive Tika from their sisters will not have to suffer the pains of hell.
Bhaiya Dooj puja is usually done in the morning.
The Story Of Bhai Dooj
The story goes that once there was a family living in a village that had only a sister and a brother. The sister was very elder to her brother, she got married & After the marriage, the sister never returned to her mother's home. As the brother grew up he terribly missed his sister, especially on the Bhai Dooj day, as he used to see his friends with teeka on their forehead and plates full of sweets.
On one particular Bhai dooj, when the boy had turned young , he inquired from his mother about the reason as to why his sister never visited home after her marriage. The mother replied that she does not come because there is a big forest between this village and the one in which she lives and there is a big river flowing in between. One has to cross the river by boat and then there are wild animals also so many people do not travel through the forest.
The young brother decided to visit his sister on the next Bhai dooj day.
The boy set off and on his way he faced the rising level of river, the danger of snakes,resistance from the mountains,wild animals. He pleaded they can feed on him on his return journey .The poor boy knew now that his days were numbered, still, he eagerly went to meet his only sister. He entered the house, and saw his sister doing the Bhai Dooj puja. The sister on seeing him after such a long time, welcomed her brother with a smile and embraced him. She at once brought lovely fruits and sweet to eat. Performed Bhai dooj rituals & as the days passed, and it was time for the brother to take leave of his sister and brother-in-law the brother narrated the whole incident to his sister and told her that his days were numbered and that he is soon going to die. The sister was shocked, but she decided to accompany him for the return journey. She secretly packed some meat for the tiger, some milk for the snake, flowers of silver and gold for the mountain and some roli and rice for the river.
Both, brother and sister were very happy to escape the dangers of the forest and were anxious to reach home. But before reaching home they met the gypsies who predicted her brother will die very soon. She asked them to tell her some way by which this calamity could be averted. One old suggested that until her brother gets married, she should go on cursing him, right from now on and continuous to curse him all through the wedding and also insists on getting all rituals done to her first, only then this boy can be saved.
She started to curse him and to abuse him. This thing continued even when they reached home. The mother, along with the villagers were very surprised at the nasty behavior of the sister, but no said anything as she was married and had came to her mother's place after a long time.
Soon, the brother's marriage was fixed to a beautiful girl. Still the sister went on cursing. On the wedding day, she insisted that all rituals be performed on her before her brother. The sister insisted that they tie the sehra on her forehead first. She found a small snake in the sehra instead of a string. She pulled out the snake. Next, the sister insisted that the barat should go from the back door and not from the front door and no decorations be made to avoid mishap.
The wedding was finally over and every one including the mother and brother were keen to see the sister leave because of her bad behaviour. Before leaving for her husbands place, the sister narrated the prediction of the gypsies and gave the reason for her bad behavior. Everyone had tears in their eyes and all present said with one voice: 'Let everyone have a sister like her who did this just to save her brother and family from disaster.
Thus, the custom is prevalent that a brother does not go to his sisters house for the teeka; instead the sisters bring or send the teeka to the brother.
Bhai Dooj Shaloka
"Bhratus tabaa grajaataaham, Bhunksa bhaktamidam shuvam Preetaye yama raajasya Yamunaah Visheshatah."
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