Bhai Dooj, a festival symbolizing the deep and unbreakable bond of love between brothers and sisters, is celebrated just after Diwali, the festival of lights. This year, there is some confusion about the exact date of Bhai Dooj due to a change in the traditional calendar dates. Unlike the usual celebration on the second day of Diwali, Bhai Dooj in 2025 will be observed on the third day.

According to the Vedic Hindu calendar, Bhai Dooj falls on the second day of the bright fortnight (Shukla Dwitiya Tithi) in the Kartik month. For 2025, this tithi begins at 8:16 pm on October 22nd and extends until 10:44 pm on October 23rd. Therefore, the proper day to celebrate Bhai Dooj is October 23rd, following the natural rising of the tithi.

Celebratory Rituals

On Bhai Dooj, sisters traditionally build the Govardhan mountain out of cow dung and listen to the story of Yamraj’s visit to his sister Yamuna. After the ritual, sisters apply a tilak (a mark) on their brothers’ foreheads and pray for their long life and happiness, concluding with a aarti ceremony.

Mythological Significance

The festival is rooted in the story of Yamraj visiting his sister Yamuna. She warmly welcomed him and applied a tilak on his forehead. Pleased, Yamraj granted her a boon that anyone who celebrates and listens to this story on Dwitiya Tithi of Kartik will live a long and protected life, free from untimely death.

This year’s celebration of Bhai Dooj on October 23rd aligns with the astrological timings and marks a slightly later but equally auspicious observance of this special sibling festival.