Bhai Dooj 2026: Tilak Muhurat on Wednesday 11 November, Yama-Yamuna Katha and Vidhi
Bhai Dooj 2026 is on Wednesday, 11 November. The tilak muhurat, the aparahna or afternoon window, is 1:10 PM to 3:20 PM in Delhi. The Dwitiya tithi runs from 2:01 PM on the 10th to 3:54 PM on the 11th, so it covers the whole afternoon window only on the 11th.
संक्षेप में: भाई दूज 2026 बुधवार, 11 नवम्बर को है। तिलक मुहूर्त, यानी अपराह्न का समय, दिल्ली में दोपहर 1:10 से 3:20 तक है। द्वितीया तिथि 10 नवम्बर दोपहर 2:01 से 11 नवम्बर दोपहर 3:54 तक है, इसलिए अपराह्न का पूरा समय केवल 11 तारीख़ को उसमें आता है; परम्परा द्वितीया रहते किसी भी समय तिलक की अनुमति देती है। यमुना ने इसी दिन अपने भाई यम का तिलक, आरती और भोजन से स्वागत किया था। पूरा लेख हिंदी में पढ़ें →
Bhai Dooj 2026: date and tilak muhurat
- Date: Wednesday, 11 November 2026
- Dwitiya tithi: 2:01 PM on 10 November to 3:54 PM on 11 November
- Tilak muhurat, aparahna (Delhi): 1:10 PM to 3:20 PM on 11 November
The aparahna is the fourth fifth of the daylight; it moves with your city, so check yours on our Muhurat finder or Panchang.
Why Wednesday 11 November
Bhai Dooj follows the Kartik Shukla Dwitiya that holds the aparahna. On Tuesday, 10 November, Dwitiya begins only at 2:01 PM and covers 79 minutes of that afternoon’s window. On Wednesday, 11 November, it runs until 3:54 PM and covers the whole window, 130 minutes, and it also holds sunrise. Most panchangs therefore give the 11th; the few that print the 10th follow the first afternoon on which Dwitiya appears. If the afternoon does not suit your family, tradition allows the tilak at any time while Dwitiya is running, which on the 11th is until 3:54 PM.
The Yama and Yamuna katha
Yama, the god of death, and Yamuna, the river goddess, are brother and sister, children of Surya. Yamuna invited her brother again and again, and on Kartik Shukla Dwitiya he finally came. She welcomed him with a tilak, an aarti and a meal, and Yama, pleased, granted that any brother who receives a tilak from his sister on this day would be protected from untimely death. That is why the day is also called Yama Dwitiya, and why, in Mathura, brothers and sisters bathe together in the Yamuna at Vishram Ghat. The Dharmraj Yamraj aarti is sung in many homes.
Bhai Dooj tilak vidhi
The sister prepares a thali with roli, rice, a lamp, sweets, a dry coconut and a few flowers. The brother sits facing east or north. She applies the tilak of roli and rice, ties a sacred thread or offers a coconut, performs aarti and feeds him sweets, praying for his long life. He blesses her and gives her a gift. Many families then share a meal together, as Yamuna did with Yama.
Bhai Dooj across India
In Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka the day is Bhau Beej; in Bengal it is Bhai Phota, where the sister marks the brother’s forehead with sandal paste; in Nepal it is Bhai Tika, the last day of Tihar, dated by Nepal’s own calendar. The rituals differ in detail and share the same meaning.
Chitragupta Puja
The same afternoon, many families, especially Kayasthas, worship Chitragupta, the keeper of Yama’s records, with pen, paper and account books. The rest of Diwali week is in Diwali 2026 and Govardhan Puja 2026.
Bhai Dooj 2026: FAQs
When is Bhai Dooj in 2026?
On Wednesday, 11 November 2026, when the Kartik Shukla Dwitiya covers the whole afternoon window.
What is the Bhai Dooj tilak muhurat in 2026?
1:10 PM to 3:20 PM in Delhi on 11 November. The tilak can also be done at any time while Dwitiya runs, until 3:54 PM.
Why do some calendars say 10 November?
Because Dwitiya begins at 2:01 PM on the 10th and covers part of that afternoon. Most panchangs choose the 11th, when it covers the whole window and also holds sunrise.
Why is Bhai Dooj called Yama Dwitiya?
Because on this Dwitiya Yama visited his sister Yamuna, received her tilak, and blessed every brother who does the same with protection from untimely death.
To see what the months ahead hold for you and your family, start with your free kundli or talk to an astrologer.
