On the occasion of Bhai Dooj, girls wear colorful costumes and decorate the puja thalis. The effort taken for decorating the thali will be compensated by brothers with presents and gifts. On that day sisters competes each other to show their best in decorating thalis. Bhai Dooj is known by various names like ?Bhav-Bij? in Maharashtra, ?Bhai Phota? in West Bengal, ?Bhai Beej? in Gujarat. Other popular names of Bhai Dooj are Bhathru Dwithiya, Bhai-Tika, Bhatri Ditya and Yamadwitheya.



If the sister is married, the brother visits his sister on the day of Bhai Dooj as a custom. The brother has to sit and allow his sister to carry out the ceremony. The Bhai Dooj puja is performed in a puja room and the sister decorates the thali with mithai, batshaas, roli and rice along with coconut. The thali can be also decorated with colored grains, felt paper, flowers, poster paints, buds, leaves, petals, sequins and beads. Sister applies a tika and akshat on the forehead of her brother and performs arti on him. Sister will give sweets in the mouth of brother and also give gifts to him. During this ceremony, sister prays for brother's long life, health and happiness. In return the brother blesses his sister and gives her cash or gifts.

There are various legends on Bhai Dooj. Bhai Dooj is celebrated as ?Yama Dwiteeya? because it is believed that on this day, Yamaraj who is the Lord of Death and the keeper of Hell visited his sister Yami's house. During his visit to her house, she put a tika on his forehead praying for his prosperity and safety and to mark this occasion we are celebrating Bhai Dooj. Another legend is that Lord Krishna went to his sister Subhadra after killing Narakasura who welcomed Lord Krishna with lamp, flowers and sweet and applied a tika on his forehead. Bhai Dooj festival is also signifies the affection of sister Sudarshana who comforted her brother King Nandivadhan who was distressed when his brother Mahavir, founder of Jainism, attained nirvana. From that time onwards women have been respected during Bhai Dooj festival.

Bhai Dooj is celebrated in almost all parts of India, mainly in North India. Only difference is that the festival is known in different names in different parts of India and in some places the customs and traditions also differ. Bhai Dooj is a celebration to strengthen the bond between sisters and brothers. Bhai Dooj symbolizes the peaceful co-existence of each human being to promote unity and to encourage harmonious social life.