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- This festival is celebrated as brother’s day
- Bhaidooj, though celebrated throughout India in some form or other, has a special significance in Mithilanchal, where sisters worship their brothers in a manner peculiar to this region called "NEAUT"
- Every married or unmarried girl or women pray to the river Ganga and Yamuna for the long life and prosperity of her brother
- Sister applies Chandan on the forehead of the brother, she then applies Pithar on the feet and palms of brother followed by Sindoor. She next smears Madhu on the palms, places all the material kept in the basin on the palms and washes them off with water back to the basin chanting the some sloka
- This process is repeated thrice
- The younger of the two then touches the feet of the elder (pranam) and the elder of the two then offers some gift or money to the younger
- Brothers are given Bigji (light refreshment) consisting of sprouted brown peas, makhana, dry fruits and sweets
- For brothers, it is essential (if possible) to take their meals at their sister's place
Bharatridwitiya or Bhaidooj |
- For this, they even travel long distances
- Brothers are made to squat on a Peedhi(wooden plank) decorated with Alpana with palms together and extended. In front, certain things (Pan, Supari, Laung, Bari Ilaichi, flower of Kumhar, Coin) are kept in a Adhia (basin) kept over another alpana
- Pithar, Sindoor, Madhu, Chandan, and water in a pot are kept nearby
- On this day brother has to come to the house of his sister and eat something from her hands
- The brothers give gifts to their sisters
- This festival is organized each year on the second day after the new moon in the month of Karthik i.e. in November
- In the recent past, brothers of Mithila used to visit their sister in neighboring villages on foot having Makhan and Laddu wrapped in clothes on their shoulders