|
|
|
|
The festival of Bhai Duj is eagerly awaited by every Hindu household, as this is a special occasion to enjoy the long lasting bond a brother has for his sister and vice versa. It's an opportunity for a good feast at the sister's place, coupled with an enthusiastic exchange of gifts and merriment amid friends and relatives. The most important aspect of this festival is the puja that is performed. The essential items of this puja are - Puja Chowk (Platform), Diya (Lamp), Roli, A little rice, Coconut, Batashas, Mithai, Fruits, Seven paans. |
|
|
|
|
|
In every Hindu Puja, thali decoration play a very important role as no puja will be complete without these decorations. The puja thali or plate for Bhai duj contain roli, aipun and rice in their respective katoris and a coconut, all tastefully decorated. After putting all these items, sisters can then place the prasad onto the thali, a little piece of mithai or a batasha. Thali can further be embellished with a host of novel designs with the help of materials such as colored grains, felt paper, poster paints, flowers, buds, petals, leaves, beads and sequins. |
|
|
|
|
|
Bhai Dooj Teeka
Bhai Dooj Teeka is a mark of auspiciousness. On this festive day, the sisters put teeka, the on the forehead with vermilion, sandal paste, roli or kumkum (red turmeric).According to the Hindu scriptures say: "A forehead without a Tilak is worthy of condemnation and they exist for name‘s sake only." Thus, one can very well imagine the importance of teeka or the sacred mark for Hindus.On this day, the sisters makes the arrangement for the Teeka in a puja thali. A combination of sandal wood paste, red vermilion or a roli is used to draw the teeka along with few grains of rice. Bhai Dooj Teeka is applied at the space between the two eyebrows.
There are various methods of applying teeks, but on the festive occasion of Bhai Dooj, sisters usually apply a vertical line on the forehead. The fingers used for applying Tilak are the ring-finger and the thumb. Bahi Dooj Teeka is further decorated with unbroken rice grains. The teeka applied on the forehead of brothers represents firmness, brilliance, honor, respect and faith of a sister. These are the blessings achieved by applying Teeka with the ring-finger. Through Bhai Dooj Teeka, the sister wishes life-force, health, and longevity to her brothers. The unbroken rice grains symbolizes steadfastness and firmness of the brain and is also a symbol of peace. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
