It was time to revisit the bond between the brother and the sister on occasion of Bhau Beej on Tuesday.
On this day, sisters perform an aarti on their brothers, feed them sweets, apply a teeka on their forehead and pray to god for their well-being and health.
The brothers respond by blessing their sisters and giving them gifts.
The festival, which celebrates the love between the brother and a sister, is celebrated in most parts of the country including Maharashtra, and is called bhai dooj in the North, Hindi-speaking belt, it is called Bhav-Bij in the Marathi-speaking communities and in Nepal, people know this festival by the name of Bhai-Tika.
Said prominent astrologer Jayant Salgaonkar: “The festival has a number of legends associated with it, the most prominent being the one about Lord Yama and his sister Yami, who were the first to celebrate the festival. The scriptures say that one should not eat at his house on this day and instead have food at his sisters house. The holy books also add that a person dying on this day, goes to heaven, regardless of his sins.”
Salgaonkar added that the revolutionary Umaji Naik, who led the revolt of the Ramoshis and Berads against the British in the 1820’s was captured by the British, courtesy a treacher in his ranks, while he had come to his sister’s home on Bhau beej.
Said Ashutosh Devari, who works in an IT company at Navi Mumbai, and had gone to his native place in Goa to celebrate Diwali: “It is festivals like these which ensure that the families stay close despite the distance.” –
Bhai Tika in theDarjeeling Hills
In a striking similarity of culture Bhai Tika is celebrated among the Gorkhalis of the Darjeeling hills.
Sisters give blessings to their brothers wishing long life prosperity and peace. The brothers gift their sisters according to the income group. Females are given a lot of respect in the Gorkhali community therefore the brother touches the feet of the sister on Bhai Tika.
Men who have migrated to the cities for employment come back home to celebrate Bhai Tika.
