Bhai Dooj: Festival of brotherly-sisterly love being celebrated with zeal and joy

dynamitenews.com
New Delhi/ 1 November 2016. Bhai Dooj, the festival of brotherly-sisterly love bond, is being celebrated throughout the country with traditional fervour and gaiety.

On the occasion, sisters ceremonize their love by putting an auspicious tilakor a vermilion mark on the forehead of their brothers and perform an aarti of him by showing him the light of the holy flame as a mark of love and protection from evil forces. 

Sisters are lavished with gifts, goodies and blessings from their brothers.

Bhai Dooj comes every year on the fifth and last day of Diwali, which falls on a new moon night. The name 'Dooj' means the second day after the new moon, the day of the festival, and 'Bhai' means brother.

According to one of the legends, on this day, Lord Krishna, after slaying the Narakasura demon, goes to his sister Subhadra who welcomes him with the holy lamp, flowers and sweets, and puts the holy protective spot on her brother's forehead.

Bhai Phota
In Bengal this festival is called 'Bhai Phota', which is performed by the sister who religiously fasts until she applies a 'phota or phonta' or mark with sandal wood paste on her brother's forehead, offers him sweets and gifts and prays for his long and healthy life.