Bhai Dooj 2023: Date, history, significance; here's all you need to know

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The festival of lights, Diwali, is a gala-affair in India and it brings with it a whole week of festivity. Right from Dhanteras to, the week long celebration brings with it happiness and harmony among people.

In fact, every festival in India is a celebration of togetherness and is a symbolic of our unity in diversity. Bhai Dooj is known as Sodara Bidige in Karnataka, Bhai Phota in Bengal, Bhai-Beej in Gujarat and Bhau Beej in Maharashtra. Every year, Bhai Dooj is celebrated on the last day of the five-day long Diwali festivities.

Diwali is celebrated every year with a lot of pomp and grandeur. The festival of lights starts with Dhanteras. A day before Diwali, Chhoti Diwali is celebrated. This year, however, Chhoti Diwali falls on the same day with Diwali. A day after Diwali, Govardhan Puja is celebrated. Bhai Dooj is celebrated on the fifth day of the Diwali festivities.

Falling on the new moon day, this auspicious occasion typically occurs in October or November, depending on the lunar calendar. Due to difference between the solar cycle and lunar cycle, on which the Hindu calendar is based, festivals are celebrated on different dates every year.

Bhai Dooj 2023: Date

Bhai Dooj will be celebrated on November 15 this year. The day celebrates the bond shared between the siblings and the unconditional love between a brother and a sister.

Bhai Dooj 2023: History

According to Hindu mythology, Lord Krishna, after defeating Narakasura, visited his sister Subhadra. Subhadra welcomed him with sweets and flowers and put a tilak on his forehead. Since then, Bhai Dooj has been celebrated on this day. According to another story, the god of death Yama visited his sister Yamuna who welcomed him with the tilak ceremony. Then Yama decided that on this day, whoever receives the tilak and sweets from their sister will be blessed with longevity.

Bhai Dooj 2023: Significance

Siblings celebrate Bhai Dooj by exchanging gifts with each other and shower a lot of love on one another. The ceremony occurs to offer protection from all evil forces and bless all with longevity and prosperity.

In southern India, Yama Dwitya is observed. In West Bengal, Bhai Dooj is observed as Bhai Phota and in Maharashtra, Bhai Dooj is observed as Bhau Beej on the same day.