Fri Nov 01 16:08:29 UTC 2024: ## Bhai Dooj 2024: Celebrate the Festival of Brotherly Love on November 3rd

**New Delhi, October 28, 2024:** The auspicious festival of Bhai Dooj, marking the end of the Kartik Panchparva, will be celebrated on Sunday, November 3rd, 2024. This festival signifies the special bond between brothers and sisters, with sisters offering prayers for their brothers’ well-being and longevity.

**Shubh Muhurat for Tilak:** The auspicious time for sisters to apply tilak on their brothers’ foreheads this year is between 1:10 PM and 3:22 PM, lasting for 2 hours and 12 minutes.

**Bhai Dooj Rituals:**
* **Morning:** Brothers should start their day by offering prayers to the moon and taking a bath in clean water.
* **Afternoon:** Sisters prepare a special thali with auspicious items like kumkum, sindoor, sandalwood, fruits, flowers, sweets, and betel nut. They create a square (chauk) using rice and seat their brother within it. During the shubh muhurat, they apply tilak on his forehead.
* **Offerings:** Sisters offer betel nut, paan, sugar candy, flowers, and black chickpeas to their brothers, followed by an aarti.
* **Gifts & Promises:** Brothers reciprocate by gifting their sisters and promising to protect them.

**Mythological Significance:** The festival is rooted in the legend of Yamraj, the god of death, visiting his sister Yamuna on this day. Yamuna’s devotion led Yamraj to grant her a boon, ensuring the well-being of all brothers who receive tilak from their sisters on Bhai Dooj. The festival also involves offering prayers to Yamraj and his scribe, Chitragupt, for blessings of good health and prosperity.

**How to Worship Yamraj:**
* In the evening, fill a clay pot with water and place it on the left side of the house.
* Light a four-faced lamp with mustard oil on the pot and pray for the long life and well-being of your family.
* Sprinkle the water from the pot in a corner of the house the next morning.

**Worshiping Chitragupt:**
* Create a square facing east and place an image of Chitragupt within it.
* Light a ghee lamp, offer flowers, sweets, and a pen.
* Write “Shri Ganeshay Namah” on a white piece of paper with turmeric.
* Write “Om Chitraguptay Namah” 11 times and pray for knowledge, wisdom, and writing skills.
* Keep the offered pen safe for use throughout the year.

Bhai Dooj is a cherished festival celebrating the bond between siblings and seeking blessings for a long and prosperous life.

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