When the festive glow of Diwali slowly softens, another celebration of light and love takes over. Bhai Dooj, the festival of siblings, is a tender reminder of lifelong care and affection between brothers and sisters. It is not about grandeur or gifts; it’s about a bond so sacred that it turns prayer into protection.

In 2025, Bhai Dooj will be celebrated on Thursday, October 23. Also known as Bhaiya Dooj, Bhau Beej, Yam Dwitiya, or Bhai Dvitiya, this festival marks the perfect ending to Diwali, filling homes with gratitude, laughter, and blessings.

Bhai Dooj 2025 Date, Time and Shubh Muhurat

Bhai Dooj falls on the Dwitiya Tithi of the Shukla Paksha in the month of Kartik. It is considered one of the most auspicious days to strengthen family ties and pray for long life and prosperity.

Date: Thursday, October 23, 2025

Dwitiya Tithi Begins: 8:16 pm on October 22, 2025

Dwitiya Tithi Ends: 10:46 pm on October 23, 2025. 

Since the Udaya Tithi (the tithi prevailing at sunrise) falls on October 23, Bhai Dooj will be celebrated on this day across India. You can perform puja and family prayers during the following auspicious Choghadiya periods on October 23:

Shubha (Good): 

6:27 am to 7:51 am,

4:19 pm to 5:43 pm

Labha (Gain): 

12:05 pm to 1:30 pm

Amrita (Best): 

1:30 pm to 2:54 pm

5:43 pm to 7:19 pm

These Choghadiya timings are ideal for performing Tilak, puja, lighting diyas, and exchanging gifts, inviting harmony, emotional closeness, and divine blessings between brothers and sisters.

The Story Behind Bhai Dooj

The festival traces back to the story of Lord Yamraj, the god of death, and his sister, Goddess Yamuna. Legend says that Yamraj visited his sister after a long absence. Delighted to see him, Yamuna welcomed him with love, performed his aarti, applied a tilak on his forehead, and served him a meal with devotion. Pleased with her affection, Yamraj blessed her and declared that any brother who visits his sister on this day and receives her prayers would live a long and fortunate life.

Since then, Bhai Dooj has become a day when sisters pray for their brothers’ protection, and brothers, in return, promise to care for their sisters. It is a celebration of love that outlasts time and even conquers fear.

Rituals and Customs of Bhai Dooj

Bhai Dooj is simple yet deeply meaningful. Every ritual carries emotional and spiritual weight.

1. Morning Preparations: Sisters begin the day with a ritual bath, often sprinkling Ganga Jal in their homes to invite purity and positivity. They prepare a thali with roli, rice, flowers, sweets, and a small diya. The atmosphere feels soft and sacred, filled with quiet excitement.

2. The Tilak Ceremony: This is the most heartfelt part of Bhai Dooj. Sisters apply a tilak on their brothers’ foreheads, perform an aarti, and tie a kalava (sacred thread) on their wrists. The tilak represents divine protection, while the aarti invokes strength and clarity for the brother. Afterwards, the brothers offer gifts as a gesture of gratitude and love.

3. Sharing the Feast: Once the rituals are over, families sit together for a special meal. Sisters often prepare their brothers’ favourite dishes, puris, kheer, halwa, or laddoos, filling the house with warmth and laughter. Food becomes more than nourishment; it becomes a way to express care and togetherness.

4. The Yamuna Snan: In many parts of India, devotees take a holy dip in the Yamuna River. It is said that bathing in the river on Bhai Dooj removes negativity, increases life span, and brings good fortune. You can also chant the Gayatri Mantra or the Om Jai Jagdish Hare Aarti on AstroSure.ai for calmness, clarity, and emotional harmony before performing your puja.

Bhai Dooj Across India

Different regions celebrate this day in their own unique ways, but the essence of love stays the same everywhere.

• In Maharashtra and Gujarat, Bhai Dooj is known as Bhau Beej. Sisters apply a tilak on their brothers and serve them basundi or shrikhand with puris.

• In West Bengal, it is called Bhai Phonta. Sisters fast until the tilak ceremony and then feed their brothers sweets. The celebration is filled with songs, laughter, and emotional moments.

• In Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, married sisters invite brothers to their homes, while unmarried girls perform the ritual for their cousins.

• In Nepal, the festival is celebrated as Bhai Tika during Tihar, where sisters apply a multicoloured tilak and offer symbolic gifts to their brothers.

Every version of Bhai Dooj, no matter where it is celebrated, shares the same foundation: a love that is nurturing, forgiving, and unconditional.

Spiritual and Astrological Significance of Bhai Dooj

Bhai Dooj is not just a cultural event; it carries spiritual and astrological importance. It falls during the Shukla Paksha, the waxing phase of the Moon, when positivity and emotional strength are at their peak.

The ritual of applying tilak strengthens family bonds, symbolically invoking protection and peace. The lighting of diyas removes darkness, both literal and emotional. From an astrological point of view, Bhai Dooj activates positive Venus and Moon energies, the planets that rule over love, connection, and family harmony. Performing the ritual during the right muhurat enhances these planetary benefits and ensures peace and prosperity for the family.

The Emotional Essence of Bhai Dooj

What makes Bhai Dooj special is its emotional simplicity. It’s not just a day on the calendar but a moment to pause and reconnect. Life moves fast, but Bhai Dooj slows it down. For a few hours, it brings back childhood memories, laughter, and the comfort of knowing someone will always have your back. The festival reminds us that family love does not need to be loud or dramatic. Sometimes, it’s just a thread tied with care, a small prayer whispered with faith, or a plate of homemade food shared in silence.

As Bhai Dooj 2025 approaches, make time for this beautiful celebration. If your sibling is far away, call them, send a heartfelt message, or perform a symbolic tilak over a video call. The intention is what matters. Remember that love always finds its way.

Ask Agastyaa on AstroSure.ai for guidance, harmony, and deeper family connection today