Hindu festival · San Francisco Bay Area
Bhai Dooj
Dates for the Bay Area
- Tuesday, 10 November 2026Major festivalnext
- Saturday, 30 October 2027Major festival
- Thursday, 19 October 2028Major festival
Why it matters
Kārttika śukla dvitīyā, two days after the new moon, closes the Dīpāvali cycle by celebrating the bond between brothers and sisters. It is Bhāi Dūj in the North, Bhāu Bīj in Maharashtra, Bhāi Bīj in Gujarat, Bhāi Phõṭā in Bengal, Bhāi Ṭīkā in Nepal, and Yama Dvitīyā or Bhrātṛ Dvitīyā in Sanskrit usage.
Where it falls
The fifth and final day of the North Indian Dīpāvali sequence, the day after Govardhana Pūjā and the Gujarati New Year; in Bengal it falls two days after Kālī Pūjā.
The story behind it
Yamunā long invited her brother Yama to visit. When he finally came on this dvitīyā she welcomed him with a tilaka and a meal, and he blessed the day for brothers who visit their sisters. A second telling has Subhadrā receiving Kṛṣṇa with tilaka and sweets on his return from slaying Narakāsura.
Prayers and worship
The sister performs āratī for her brother, marks his forehead with tilaka or ṭīkā, and prays for his long life and well-being. In Bengal she applies a sandalwood-paste mark (phõṭā) to his forehead while reciting a traditional verse for his protection.
How families keep it
In Bengal many sisters fast until the phõṭā ceremony is complete. Across regions, brothers commonly visit their sisters' homes for a festive meal and give gifts in return.
What is typically offered
Sisters prepare a meal of their brothers' favourite dishes and sweets; Bengali celebrations give sweets (miṣṭi) particular weight. Brothers bring gifts or money.
Visiting a temple that day
Because multiple Deepavali observances may fall on adjacent days, check the temple schedule for the specific pooja being performed. Temple practices vary by region and sampradaya. Dress modestly, remove footwear where required, follow priest/volunteer directions, ask before photography, and check the temple’s event page for exact pooja, fasting and prasādam arrangements.
Sources for this page (7)
The description above is this site’s own, researched from the sources below and written in our words; each section rests on at least two of them. It has not been reviewed by Sri Kumar Gurukkal, and it describes how families commonly keep the day — your family’s tradition comes first.
- Bhai Dooj — Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Bhai Dooj — Wikipedia
- Bhratridvitiya — Banglapedia (Asiatic Society of Bangladesh)
- Bhai Dooj 2024: Exploring rituals and traditions across India (31 Oct 2024) — Outlook Publishing (Outlook India)
- Diwali (Utsav portal) — Ministry of Tourism, Government of India
- Diwali (Incredible India) — Ministry of Tourism, Government of India
- Mantras, rhymes and legends behind Bhai Phonta or Bhai Dooj — My Kolkata (The Telegraph India group)
Request this pooja
Ask Sri Kumar Gurukkal about a pooja for Bhai Dooj — at your home, at a temple, or with family joining remotely. A request is an enquiry, not a booking.
Request a pooja Add 10 Nov 2026 to calendarKeep this in your calendar
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Subscribe to the festival calendar Share on WhatsAppThe 2026–27 dates were compiled from a Northern-California Panchāṅgam reference for the Fremont / Bay Area location. The 2028 date is computed by this site’s own engine from the festival’s standard definition, tested against the 2026–27 dates: Kārttika śukla dvitīyā, judged at the tithi at sunrise (udaya-vyāpinī). No 2028 date has been checked against a printed almanac or reviewed by Sri Kumar Gurukkal. They can differ from a calendar computed for another city or another sampradāya. Please confirm any date on which you plan a ceremony with Sri Kumar Gurukkal. How these dates are calculated →