Festival · A day for brothers and sisters
Bhai Dooj 2026: date, tithi and muhurat
Bhai Dooj 2026 falls on Wednesday, 11 November, on Shukla Dwitiya of Kartika. The times here are for Chandigarh; choose your city to see yours.
What Bhai Dooj is
Bhai Dooj, also called Bhau Beej, Bhaiya Dooj, Bhai Tika or Yama Dwitiya, is kept on the second tithi of the bright fortnight of Kartika, the day after Govardhan Puja and usually two days after Diwali. A sister applies a tilak on her brother’s forehead, offers him sweets and a meal, and prays for his wellbeing, and he gives her a gift and promises his care. It is the companion of Raksha Bandhan and closes the five days of Diwali. In Nepal it is Bhai Tika, with a seven-coloured tika and garlands.
How the date is fixed
The festival is on Kartika Shukla Dwitiya. The day that counts is the one on which Dwitiya covers Aparahna, the afternoon fifth of the daylight, which is when the texts place the tilak. When two afternoons are covered, the second is taken.
Dates for 2026 to 2028
Bhai Dooj is on Wednesday, 11 November in 2026, Sunday, 31 October in 2027 and Thursday, 19 October in 2028. These dates are calculated from the sky for Chandigarh, not copied from a printed calendar. It falls on Shukla Dwitiya of Kartika.
| Year | Date | Tithi and month |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Wednesday, 11 November | Shukla Dwitiya · Kartika |
| 2027 | Sunday, 31 October | Shukla Dwitiya · Kartika |
| 2028 | Thursday, 19 October | Shukla Dwitiya · Kartika |
Muhurat for Bhai Dooj
For Chandigarh in 2026, the main time is the Tilak muhurat (Aparahna): 1:11 pm – 3:19 pm on Wednesday, 11 November. Sunrise, sunset and the parts of the day move with the city, so the window, and sometimes the day itself, can change elsewhere. Choose your city below and the tables follow.
| Muhurat | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tilak muhurat (Aparahna) | 1:11 pm – 3:19 pm | 1:12 pm – 3:24 pm | 1:15 pm – 3:31 pm |
| Aparahna (afternoon fifth of the day) | 1:11 pm – 3:19 pm | 1:12 pm – 3:24 pm | 1:15 pm – 3:31 pm |
The tilak is applied in the afternoon window shown below. The legend behind the day is that Yama, the god of order, visited his sister Yamuna, who welcomed him with a tilak and a meal. He was so moved that he promised that brothers who visit their sisters on this day will be blessed.
Brothers who live far away are sent the tilak by post or video call, and cousins and friends often share the day too.
A share card for the Bhai Dooj muhurat is coming. Today the app has one for Diwali only.
Questions people ask
Why is it called Yama Dwitiya?
Because of the legend in which Yama, the god of order, visited his sister Yamuna on this day. In many families brothers still go to their sisters’ homes for a meal, and in some regions the two bathe in the Yamuna.
What is the difference between Raksha Bandhan and Bhai Dooj?
Both honour the bond between brothers and sisters. On Raksha Bandhan the sister ties a rakhi and the brother promises protection; on Bhai Dooj she applies a tilak and prays for his wellbeing, and the brother goes to her home, rather than the other way round.
Which time is best for the tilak?
The texts prefer the afternoon (Aparahna) of the day on which Dwitiya prevails, and the table shows that window for your city. Families who cannot keep to it simply apply the tilak when they meet.
When is Bhai Dooj in 2026, 2027 and 2028?
Bhai Dooj is on Wednesday, 11 November 2026; Sunday, 31 October 2027; Thursday, 19 October 2028, calculated for Chandigarh. In another city the day can differ by one when the tithi starts or ends close to the time of day the rule uses.
How does JYOTISH.info calculate Bhai Dooj?
From the sky, with the astronomy-engine library on the Lahiri sidereal zodiac: the lunar month from the Sun’s sign at the new moon, the tithi from the Moon–Sun angle, and the day part that the festival’s own rule asks for, at the city’s sunrise and sunset. Nothing is copied from a table. The rule is stated above and the full method is on the method page.
Every position on this page is calculated sidereal with the Lahiri ayanamsa from the astronomy-engine library (MIT licence). The classical texts describe tendencies; this page is for guidance and reflection, not a verdict, and no outcome is promised. How we calculate. This is the English page and the legal reference. The same page is available in Hindi. Checked October 2026.