Which Hindu festival day, part of Diwali, celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters? The answer is Bhai Dooj.
Bhai Dooj is observed on the second lunar day of the bright fortnight of Kartika, near the end of the Diwali festival. Sisters traditionally welcome their brothers, perform aarti, apply a tika to the forehead, offer prayers for their well-being, and share a meal. Brothers may respond with blessings and gifts.
The observance has several regional names, including Bhai Tika in Nepal, Bhai Phonta in Bengal, and Bhau Beej in Maharashtra and parts of western India. In southern India it is also associated with Yama Dwitiya.
Two popular stories help explain the festival. One links it to Yama, the god of death, visiting his sister Yamuna; another describes Krishna visiting his sister Subhadra after defeating Narakasura. Bhai Dooj is sometimes compared with Raksha Bandhan, but it is a separate festival with its own date and rituals. Govardhan Puja and Dhanteras are other Diwali observances, not the sibling-bond day.