Bhai Dooj 2026 is being celebrated today, November 11. Also known as Bhaiya Dooj, Bhau Beej and Yama Dwitiya, the festival honours the bond between brothers and sisters. Check the city-wise Bhai Dooj tilak muhurat, auspicious Aparahna Kaal timings, puja vidhi and Panchang details, including tithi, nakshatra and yoga, for celebrations across India.
Bhai Dooj 2026 is today, November 11. Check city-wise tilak muhurat, Aparahna Kaal, puja timings, tithi, nakshatra and Panchang details.
Bhai Dooj 2026 is being celebrated today, Wednesday, November 11, marking the final day of the five-day Diwali festivities. Also known as Bhaiya Dooj, Bhau Beej and Yama Dwitiya, the festival celebrates the special bond between brothers and sisters. On this auspicious occasion, sisters apply tilak on their brothers' foreheads, perform aarti and pray for their long life, good health and prosperity. The most important part of the celebration is performing the tilak ceremony during the auspicious Aparahna Kaal. However, puja timings vary across cities due to differences in local sunrise and sunset timings. Here is the complete city-wise Bhai Dooj 2026 tilak muhurat, puja timings and Panchang details for November 11.
Significance: Prayers for brothers' longevity, happiness and prosperity
According to the Hindu Panchang, Dwitiya Tithi begins at 2:00 PM on November 10 and ends at approximately 3:53 PM on November 11, 2026. The tilak ceremony is traditionally performed during the Aparahna period on Dwitiya Tithi.
The Bhai Dooj tilak muhurat differs across Indian cities because of variations in local sunrise and sunset timings. Sisters should ideally perform the tilak ceremony during the prescribed Aparahna period on November 11. Here are the city-wise auspicious timings:
City
Bhai Dooj Tilak Muhurat
New Delhi
1:10 PM – 3:20 PM
Mumbai
1:30 PM – 3:46 PM
Kolkata
12:27 PM – 2:41 PM
Bengaluru
1:13 PM – 3:32 PM
Chennai
1:02 PM – 3:21 PM
Hyderabad
1:08 PM – 3:25 PM
Ahmedabad
1:30 PM – 3:43 PM
Pune
1:26 PM – 3:42 PM
Jaipur
1:16 PM – 3:27 PM
Lucknow
12:56 PM – 3:07 PM
Kanpur
12:58 PM – 3:09 PM
Varanasi
12:48 PM – 3:00 PM
Patna
12:39 PM – 2:51 PM
Ranchi
12:39 PM – 2:52 PM
Bhopal
1:11 PM – 3:24 PM
Indore
1:17 PM – 3:31 PM
Ujjain
1:17 PM – 3:30 PM
Surat
1:30 PM – 3:44 PM
Vadodara
1:28 PM – 3:42 PM
Nagpur
1:05 PM – 3:19 PM
Chandigarh
1:11 PM – 3:19 PM
Dehradun
1:06 PM – 3:15 PM
Guwahati
12:13 PM – 2:24 PM
Bhubaneswar
12:38 PM – 2:53 PM
Visakhapatnam
12:49 PM – 3:05 PM
Jodhpur
1:27 PM – 3:39 PM
Udaipur
1:25 PM – 3:38 PM
Jammu
1:18 PM – 3:25 PM
Srinagar
1:18 PM – 3:24 PM
Raipur
12:55 PM – 3:09 PM
All timings are in Indian Standard Time (IST) and are specific to the respective cities. Local Panchang calculations may show minor differences depending on the calculation method.
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Bhai Dooj 2026 Panchang: Tithi, Nakshatra, Yoga and Rahu Kaal
According to the Hindu Panchang, Bhai Dooj will fall on Kartik Shukla Dwitiya. The day is also observed as Yama Dwitiya. Here are the important Panchang details for November 11, 2026, as per New Delhi timings.
Panchang Details
Timings / Information
Day
Wednesday (Budhwar)
Festival
Bhai Dooj / Yama Dwitiya
Month
Kartik
Paksha
Shukla Paksha
Tithi
Dwitiya until 3:53 PM
Nakshatra
Anuradha until 11:38 AM, then Jyeshtha
Yoga
Atiganda until 3:40 AM on November 12, then Sukarma
Why Is Aparahna Kaal Important for Bhai Dooj?
Aparahna Kaal refers to the afternoon period of the Hindu calendar day. According to traditional Hindu beliefs, the Bhai Dooj tilak ceremony should be performed during this auspicious period when Kartik Shukla Dwitiya is prevailing.
The festival is associated with the legend of Lord Yama and his sister Yamuna. According to Hindu mythology, Yamuna welcomed her brother Yama to her home, applied a ceremonial tilak on his forehead and offered him a meal. Pleased with her affection and hospitality, Yama blessed her and declared that brothers who receive tilak from their sisters on this day would be blessed with long life and prosperity.
This tradition continues through generations, with sisters praying for their brothers' well-being and brothers expressing their love through gifts and blessings.
On Bhai Dooj, sisters traditionally prepare a puja thali containing roli, rice grains (akshat), diya, sweets, flowers and other puja essentials. The ceremony is generally performed as follows:
Prepare the puja thali: Arrange roli, rice grains, a diya, flowers and sweets.
Apply tilak: During the auspicious muhurat, apply roli and rice grains on your brother's forehead.
Perform aarti: Light the diya and perform the traditional aarti for your brother.
Offer sweets: Give your brother sweets as part of the celebration.
Pray for his well-being: Sisters pray for their brothers' happiness, good health and long life.
Exchange gifts: Brothers give gifts to their sisters as a gesture of love and appreciation.
The rituals may vary across regions and families, but the central sentiment remains the same: celebrating the lifelong bond between siblings.
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