Kathmandu. On the last day of Yamapanchak i.e. Tihar, brothers are celebrating the festival of Bhai Tika by receiving tika from their sisters.

Bhai Tika, the second biggest festival of Nepalis, is celebrated every year on the second day of Kartik Shukla Dwitiya, the main festival of Tihar. On this day, it is customary for sisters to apply seven-colored or five-colored tika as per the tradition, wishing for the long life, health, and prosperity of their brothers. This festival is also called Yama Dwitiya.

There is a tradition that after the sisters give tika to the brothers, the brothers also give tika to the sisters. There is a religious belief that worshiping sisters brings eternal good fortune and prosperity.

Although the Bhai Tika can be applied throughout the day, 11:7 am is the best time for those looking for an auspicious time, said Dr. Purushottam Bhattarai, chairperson of Nepal Calendar Determination Development Committee. According to him, there is no obstacle to the vaccination throughout the day. The committee has said that the state government should get the tika at the right time.

This year, the sisters who give Bhai Tika will have to go east and the brothers who give Bhai Tika will have to return to the west. By doing this, the Moon in Scorpio will fall to the right. This morning, the Moon will enter Scorpio. Before that, the Moon will be in Libra. Religious scholar Prof. Dr. Ramchandra Gautam said that even when the Moon is in Libra, the tika can be applied according to this direction. He said that there is a classical belief that the moon should be placed in front or right while doing auspicious work.

On the day of Bhai Tika, sisters worship the lamp, kalash and Ganesha installed on the day of Lakshmi Puja. After that, Ashtachiranjeevi, Markandeya, Ashwatthama, Bali, Vyas, Hanuman, Vibhishana, Kripacharya and Parashurama are worshiped in the Ashtadal written on the main plate, as well as the plant deities like Chitragupta, Yamaraj, Yamuna, Dharmaraj and Ganapati.

It is customary for sisters to apply five-colored or seven-colored tika to their brothers with oil and garland them with garlands of flowers, including velvet, marigold, and Godavari.

Though the practice of applying the seven-coloured tika during the Tihar festival is widespread, it is customary to apply the tika of five colours—red, white, yellow, green and blue—as per the scriptural beliefs, Gautam said.

After the tika, the sisters give the brothers walnuts, bitter gourds, spices, and selroti, among other delicacies. There is also a religious and social tradition of honoring the sisters by giving clothes and dakshina, symbols of good fortune, according to their wishes.

Balgopaleshwar temple opens for those without brothers and sisters

For those who do not have sisters, it is customary to open the Balgopaleshwar temple located in the middle of Ranipokhari in Kathmandu on the day of Bhai Tika. In this temple, which opens only once a year on the day of Bhai Tika, those who do not have sisters or brothers worship, visit and get tika.

Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) spokesperson Nabin Manandhar said that necessary preparations have been completed to open the Balgopaleshwar temple for the devotees since Wednesday morning.

Similarly, the Khanjaneshwor Mahadev Temple at Jayabageshwori also has a tradition of offering tika to the people who do not have sisters or brothers, according to culture expert and Guthi Sansthan chair Dr Govinda Tandon.

According to him, before 2035 BS, the temple was closed due to the problem of entering the Balgopaleshwar temple by jumping into the Ranipokhari. At that time, brothers who did not have sisters and sisters who did not have brothers used to gather at the Khanjaneshwar Mahadev temple in Jayabageshwari. Even now, on the day of Bhai Tika, there is a crowd of devotees.

After 2035 BS, the Balgopaleshwar temple inside Ranipokhari started opening regularly. After the temple was damaged by the Gorkha earthquake on 12 Baisakh 2072 BS, devotees who were not sisters and brothers used to visit Khanjaneshwar Mahadev Temple until 2077 BS. The Balagopaleshwar temple, which was rebuilt after the earthquake, was reopened for devotees from 2077 BS.

The Newar community celebrates the day of Bhai Tika as Kija Puja. In the Newar community, according to the family tradition, some perform Kija Puja today and some on the previous day. Most of the Newar community in Bhaktapur performed Kija Puja yesterday. According to the decision of the priest and astrologer of the Taleju temple there, the Newar community of Bhaktapur performed Kija Puja yesterday.