Prayagraj

Devotees offered prayers and took holy dip in Yamuna river in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj on the auspicious occasion of Bhai Dooj on Sunday.

"Today on Bhai Dooj we took bath in the Yamuna river and prayed for the long life of our brother, " said Mamta, a local resident.

Bhai Dooj is a festival that symbolises the love and bond between brothers and sisters. On this special day, sisters pray for their brothers' long and happy lives by applying a 'Tika' on their foreheads. The occasion is further marked by the exchange of gifts and sweets between brothers and sisters, reinforcing their bond.

Bhai Dooj is known by several names in other parts of India. In North India, it is known as Bhai Dooj, Bhau Bij, and Bhai Beej, and in Maharashtra, this day is celebrated as Bhai Tika. This day is celebrated as Bhai Phonta in Bengal.

In the southern regions of India, particularly in Karnataka and Telangana, Bhai Dooj is celebrated as Yama Dwitiya. The mythology behind this celebration is that Goddess Yamuna fed her brother Yamraj at her own home on the day of Kartik Dwitiya. Since then, this day has been recognised and celebrated as Yama Dwitiya.

Sisters apply tilak to their brother's foreheads and follow other rituals such as fasting and puja on this day to wish them a long and prosperous life. In return, brothers give their sisters a gift and promise to always protect them.

Raksha Bandhan and Bhai Dooj are quite similar up to an extent, however, on Bhai Dooj, sisters do not tie a thread or Rakhi on the wrists of their brothers like they do on Raksha Bandhan.

Numerous ancient Hindu scriptures have mentioned Bhai Dooj as a celebration of bonding and eternal love between brothers and sisters. There are several tales associated with the origin of the occasion and the most well-known are those of Lord Krishna and Yamraj.