Bhai Dooj Festival / How to Celebrate / Significance

Bhai Dooj
On the day of Bhai Dooj, brother eat the food of sister’s house only. By doing this, the brother’s age increases. Eat the first mouthful from the sister’s hand. According to Skanda Purana, one who eats food from the hands of a sister on this day, gets wealth and good wealth. If there is no sister, then consider the spoken sister or the daughter of aunt / uncle as sister. If it is not there, then take a cow or a river as its sister and eat food near it. The shelter of saying is that Yamadvitiya should never be eaten at your home.

On this day sister must perform aarti of her brother thrice. On this day, give some gift to sister brother and brother sister, especially clothes and ornaments according to Skanda Purana. It is also very auspicious for brothers and sisters to take a bath in Yamuna on this day. A person who bathes in Yamuna ji on Kartik Shukla Dwitiya does not see Yamlok.

According to Narada Purana

ऊर्ज्जशुक्लद्वितीयायां यमो यमुनया पुरा ।।
भोजितः स्वगृहे तेन द्वितीयैषा यमाह्वया ।।
पुष्टिप्रवर्द्धनं चात्र भगिन्या भोजनं गृहे ।।
वस्त्रालंकारपूर्वं तु तस्मै देयमतः परम् ।।
यस्यां तिथौ यमुनया यमराजदेवः संभोजितो निजकरात्स्वसृसौहृदेन ।।
तस्यां स्वसुः करतलादिह यो भुनक्ति प्राप्नोति रत्नधनधान्यमनुत्तमं सः ।।

In the past, on Kartik Shukla Dwitiya, Yamraj was fed food by Yamunaji at his house, hence it is called ‘Yamdvitiya’. In this, eating food at sister’s house is said to be affirmative. Therefore, clothes and jewelery should be given to the sister on that day. On that date one who eats food in this world with sister’s hand, he gets the best gems, wealth and grains.

Bhai Dooj
The festival of Bhai Dooj is celebrated on Kartik Shukla Dwitiya Tithi. This time this festival is on Saturday, November 06. This festival is a symbol of the sacred love of brother and sister. It is believed that taking food at sister’s house on this day increases the age of brother. The importance of this festival is as follows-

According to religious texts, on the day of Kartik Shukla Dwitiya, Yamuna invited her brother Yama to his house and fed him with hospitality. That is why this festival is also known as Yama Dwitiya. Then Yamraj was pleased and gave him this boon that the person who worships Yama after bathing in the Yamuna on this day will not have to go to Yamlok after death. Yamuna, the daughter of Surya, is the goddess Swarupa who removes all the troubles.

His brother is Yamraj, the god of death. On the day of Yama Dwitiya, bathing in the Yamuna river and worshiping Yamuna and Yamraj is considered to be of great importance. On this day sister prays to Yamraj by tilaking her brother with folded hands for his long life. It is written in Skanda Purana that by pleasing Yamraj on this day, the worshipers get desired results. Wealth, success and longevity are attained.

If you want to increase your brother’s age, then pray to Yamraj
First of all, both sisters and brothers together worship Yama, Chitragupta and Yama’s messengers and offer Arghya to everyone. Worship the idol of Yama for the growth of sister’s age. Pray that like Markandeya, Hanuman, Bali, Parashurama, Vyasa, Vibhishana, Kripacharya and Ashwatthama these eight Chiranjeevis make my brother Chiranjeevi too.

After this the sister feeds the brother. After the meal, she applies tilak to her brother. After this the brother gives gifts to the sister as much as possible. In which gold, jewellery, clothes etc. are given prominently. There is also such a belief among people that on this day if sister feeds her brother with her own hands, then his life increases and the troubles of his life are removed.