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0 Bhai Dooj is a very special festival of India that celebrates the relationship between brothers and sisters. The festival is held on the second day after Diwali, which marks the final day of the five-day celebration. While most of the festivals around the family bond and community gatherings can be seen in many places across the world, the significance of Bhai Dooj is quite special because of its strong rooted traditions and rich cultural importance that crosses borders.
Origins and Mythology of Bhai Dooj
Bhai Dooj originates back into the mythology of the Hindus, with numerous tales and stories that have highlighted the importance of Bhai Dooj. According to one popular mythological account, there existed the god of death named Yama and his sister, Yamuna. Yamuna decided to see her brother so she invited him on one specific day. Upon finally making an appearance, Yamuna prepared a warm reception complete with rituals, food, and blessings. Because she loved him so much, Yama granted her a boon that if any brother visited his sister on this day, that brother would be granted good health and protection from every evil. This is what the bond of a sisterly relationship is, therefore, Bhai Dooj is celebrated in the same manner.
This second legend tells about the story of Lord Krishna and his sister Subhadra. Just when Lord Krishna had defeated Narakasura, she greeted him with sacred rites and marked the forehead of Krishna with a tilak meaning blessings and protection to her brother. Such a gesture from the sister is what becomes the second reason behind celebrating it as a day well blessed by siblings.
How Bhai Dooj is Celebrated
In the traditional celebrations, sisters invite their brothers over, and the rituals generally start with sisters putting a tilak or tika on their brothers’ foreheads. It is a symbolic gesture that longs for brothers to be blessed with long life, health, and prosperity. The sisters also do a tiny aarti, which is a Hindu prayer ceremony of light or flame, which will ward off the evil energy from the brothers. Brothers, as return, offer gifts to be received by their sisters and assure the sisters that they would keep them safe from evil spirits.
This festival has connotations of brotherly love, family unity, and loyalty-a virtue practiced all over the world by different cultures. An Indian like me relates well with it on a humanly different level: comfort in life is provided by a brother for his sister or a sister for her brother.
The beauty of Bhai Dooj is that it shares similar parallels with many other cultural observances globally. For example, almost every European and Western culture has some type of celebrations or gatherings marking bonds within family members-whether Thanksgiving, Christmas, or other family get-togethers. The rituals are different, but the overall theme speaks to people on a global level. Bhai Dooj makes us remember family bonds and how wonderful it is to set aside one day just for the loved ones we adore.
Message of Bhai Dooj
Bhai Dooj is a crucial Hindu festival which has lots to be learnt by the people not known to the Indian cultures. It’s a day which is revered with respect and gratitude by honoring family bonds, reflecting a pretty wonderful way of celebrating familial relations.
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