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Hindus celebrate sibling festival of Bhai Dooj
by Maya Singh

     New Delhi: The Hindus across northern India celebrated Bhai Dooj, a festival dedicated to ensuring the wellbeing of brothers, on Thursday. The celebration of this tradition forms an important part of Indian lifestyle. In New Delhi, women, young girls visited their parents' house since morning to perform the ritual before greeting their brothers. Bhai Dooj symbolises strong family ties that scriptures advocate for Hindu families and also celebrates the bond and affection between sisters and brothers. Sisters apply vermilion on the forehead of their brother's wishing them long life and good health. After the rituals, brothers give gifts to their sisters. "This is a very big festival for us as on this day sisters pray for the long life of their brothers and give them their blessings. They give him coconut as a token of love and also to pray that their love lasts forever," said Bhajan Lal, a resident. "In our part of the country (Karwar, Karnataka), Bhai Dhooj is known as Bhau Beej. Sisters traditionally pamper their brothers with an oil massage and a bath before fedding them savories and good food. They pray for their brothers wellbeing and good health, as they do in north India," said Mandakini, a housewife. The festival falls on the second day after Diwali, the festival of lights, which was celebrated all over India on Tuesday, after the sighting of the new moon in the Kartik month of Hindu calendar. Legend has it that when Hindu god Ram returned to his kingdom after defeating the demon king Ravana, the women folk greeted him and his soldiers by applying vermilion on their foreheads. It has been the tradition since then.
-Nov 3, 2005