👫 Bhai Dooj (Yama Dwitiya) Vidhi
⏰ See this year's shubh muhurat for your city →ॐ यमाय नमः
Puja samagri
- Roli/kumkum, akshat, moli (kalawa), a small diya with ghee, flowers
- Sweets, dry coconut (gola) or betel leaf & supari as per custom, fruits
- Clean water in a lota, a plate (thali), a low seat (chowki/patta) for the brother
- Rice-flour or roli for a small chowk (aipan) where the brother sits
Step-by-step method
- In the morning the sister bathes, and in many families keeps a fast until the tilak. Where possible, a bath in the Yamuna (as in Mathura) is considered very auspicious on this day.
- Worship Yamaraj, Yamuna and Chitragupta with roli, akshat and a lamp, and pray for the long life of the brother. Kayastha families also do Chitragupta and pen (kalam-dawat) puja today.
- Make a small chowk with rice flour; seat the brother facing east or north on the chowki.
- In the Aparahna muhurat the sister applies a roli-akshat tilak on the brother's forehead, ties moli on his wrist, and places flowers, supari/gola and sweets in his hands.
- She performs his aarti with the ghee lamp and feeds him sweets; many sisters recite the traditional line praying for the brother's long life.
- The brother touches her feet or blesses her (as per age), gives her a gift, and ideally eats a meal at his sister's home — the heart of the Yama–Yamuna story.
- In the evening, light a four-wick lamp facing south outside the house for Yamaraj (Yama deep), as done on Dhanteras/Narak Chaturdashi in many families.
- Listen to the Yama–Yamuna katha together.
Mantras
Yama namaskarयमाय धर्मराजाय मृत्यवे चान्तकाय च। वैवस्वताय कालाय सर्वभूतक्षयाय च॥
Traditional tilak line (folk)गंगा पूजे यमुना को, यमी पूजे यमराज को, सुभद्रा पूजे कृष्ण को; गंगा-यमुना नीर बहे, मेरे भाई की आयु बढ़े।
ℹ️ If the brother cannot come, sisters in many families do the tilak over a photo or video call and send the sweets; the sentiment matters more than the form.