Bhai Dooj 2026 Date and Complete Guide

Bhai Dooj 2026, also known as Bhai Phota, Bhau Beej, Bhai Tika, Bhai Duj, or Yama Dwitiya, falls on Wednesday, 11 November 2026. Celebrated two days after Diwali, it marks the last day of the five-day Diwali festive period and is a day devoted to the bond between brothers and sisters. Bhai Dooj is not a bank holiday or gazetted public holiday in most states, but the festive week around it, especially the Diwali cluster in November, sees several consecutive bank closures worth planning around.

What Is Bhai Dooj?

Bhai Dooj falls on the second day of Shukla Paksha in the month of Kartik, as per the Hindu lunar calendar. The word "Dooj" means the second day of the lunar fortnight. On this day, sisters apply a tilak (sacred mark) on their brother's forehead, perform aarti, and pray for his long life, happiness, and prosperity. Brothers, in return, present gifts and pledge to protect their sisters. The festival is rooted in the legend of Yama, the god of death, visiting his sister Yamuna, who welcomed him with a tilak and a grand feast, upon which Yama blessed her with a boon. This is why the day is also called Yama Dwitiya, and bathing in the Yamuna River is considered especially auspicious on this date.

The festival is known by different names across India: Bhai Phota or Bhai Phonta in West Bengal, where sisters apply a sandalwood paste or a mark made of seven colours and chant specific mantras; Bhau Beej in Maharashtra and Goa; Bhai Tika in Nepal; and Vai Bhai Phota or Vaifota in some communities. The exchange of sweets, a shared family meal, and the gifting of clothes or money are common across all regional traditions.

Bhai Dooj 2026 Date and Tilak Muhurat

Date | Day | Tithi | Auspicious Tilak Time
11 November 2026 | Wednesday | Kartik Shukla Dwitiya | Aparahna Muhurat: approximately 1:10 PM to 3:20 PM (2 hours 10 minutes)

Note: The Dwitiya Tithi begins at 2:00 PM on 10 November and ends at 3:53 PM on 11 November 2026. The Aparahna period, which falls in the early afternoon of 11 November, is traditionally considered the most auspicious time for the tilak ceremony, as it corresponds to the believed birth time of the Yama-Yamuna reunion legend.

November 2026 Holiday Cluster Around Bhai Dooj

Date | Day | Holiday | Status
8 November 2026 | Sunday | Diwali (Laxmi Pujan) | Muhurat trading only on MCX; bank branches closed
9 November 2026 | Monday | Govardhan Puja | Bank holiday in several states
11 November 2026 | Wednesday | Bhai Dooj | Not a bank holiday in most states; office holiday in some organisations
15 November 2026 | Sunday | Jharkhand Foundation Day / Chhath Puja (Evening Arghya) | Regional holiday in Jharkhand
16 November 2026 | Monday | Chhath Puja (Morning Arghya) | Bank holiday in Bihar, Jharkhand, and UP

The November festive stretch in 2026 creates a fragmented but impactful multi-day holiday cluster for residents of Bihar, Jharkhand, and UP especially.

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Is Bhai Dooj a Bank Holiday?

Bhai Dooj is not a gazetted bank holiday in most Indian states. Some government offices and private organisations choose to give employees the day off as part of the broader Diwali leave cluster, but banks typically resume normal operations by Bhai Dooj. If you need branch services on 11 November 2026, your bank branch should be open in most states. For states like Bihar and Jharkhand, it is worth checking for local holiday notifications around Chhath Puja, which falls just days after Bhai Dooj this year.