Hindu festivals · Bhau Beej, Yama Dwitiya, Bhai Phonta

Bhai Dooj 2026: date and tilak time

Bhai Dooj is the Dwitiya (second day) of Kartik Shukla paksha, the last day of Diwali. Sisters put a tilak on their brothers’ foreheads and pray for their well-being; the day is also called Yama Dwitiya.

Next date: Wednesday, 11 Nov 2026

Bhai Dooj timings

Detail	2026	2027
Date	Wednesday, 11 Nov 2026	Sunday, 31 Oct 2027
Shukla Dwitiya tithi begins	10 Nov, 2:00 pm	30 Oct, 5:53 pm
Shukla Dwitiya tithi ends	11 Nov, 3:54 pm	31 Oct, 5:14 pm
Tilak time (aparahna)	1:04 pm to 3:19 pm	1:05 pm to 3:22 pm

All times are IST. Tithi times hold for all of India; sunrise, sunset, moonrise and the muhurat windows are for Nagpur, in the North and Central Indian (purnimanta) tradition, and shift by a few minutes in other cities.

How it is commonly observed

Sisters invite their brothers home, do a tilak and aarti and serve a meal.
Brothers commonly give a gift and visit their sisters if they live apart.
The tilak is traditionally done in aparahna, the afternoon.

Where regions differ

It is Bhau Beej in Maharashtra, Bhai Phonta in West Bengal, Bhai Tika in Nepal and Bhatru Dwitiya in some parts of the South.

All the regional calendars on this site that list it give the same date in 2026.

How the date is worked out

The rule: the day when the tithi runs during aparahna, the fourth fifth of the daytime. When two days qualify, the one where the tithi covers more of that window; when none does, the day the tithi begins. The Sun and Moon positions are computed for each year (sidereal, Lahiri ayanamsa), so the dates are not copied from a printed list.

Questions about Bhai Dooj

When is Bhai Dooj in 2026?

Bhai Dooj 2026 is on Wednesday, 11 Nov 2026, and in 2027 on Sunday, 31 Oct 2027. The dates are worked out for Nagpur in the North and Central Indian tradition; the table above gives the tithi and muhurat times.

When is the tilak done?

Traditionally in aparahna, the fourth fifth of the daytime, on the day when Dwitiya runs then. The table gives that window for Nagpur.

How is Bhai Dooj different from Raksha Bandhan?

On Raksha Bandhan sisters tie a rakhi; on Bhai Dooj they do a tilak and usually host their brothers for a meal. Both celebrate the bond between brothers and sisters.

Why does another calendar show a different date?

A tithi begins and ends at the same moment all over India, but the festival day depends on the part of the day the tradition looks at (sunrise, midday, evening or midnight) and on the sunrise of the city. A panchang for another city or tradition can therefore differ by a day. Follow the one your family uses.