Bhai Dooj 2026: Best Tilak Time for Your City, the Rahu Kaal Mistake to Avoid, Vidhi and Story
Bhai Dooj 2026 falls on Wednesday, 11 November. Kartik Shukla Dwitiya runs from 2:01 PM on 10 November to 3:54 PM on 11 November, and only on the 11th does it cover the whole afternoon, the time tradition sets for the tilak. In New Delhi the Bhai Dooj tilak muhurat is 1:09 PM to 3:19 PM. There is one catch: Wednesday’s Rahu Kaal runs until 1:26 PM, so the cleanest time for the tilak in Delhi is 1:26 PM to 3:19 PM.
The same overlap happens in every Indian city this year, which most muhurat lists do not mention. Below you will find the full and Rahu-free windows for 30 cities, what to keep in the thali, the tilak vidhi, the story of Yama and Yamuna, and how Bhau Beej, Bhai Phonta and Chitragupta Puja fit in.
- Bhai Dooj 2026 at a glance
- Why 11 November
- Tilak muhurat in 30 cities
- What to keep in the Bhai Dooj thali
- Bhai Dooj tilak vidhi
- The story of Yama and Yamuna
- Bhau Beej, Bhai Phonta and Chitragupta Puja
- Frequently asked questions
Bhai Dooj 2026 at a glance
| Detail | Bhai Dooj 2026 (New Delhi) |
|---|---|
| Date | Wednesday, 11 November 2026 |
| Dwitiya tithi | 2:01 PM on 10 November to 3:54 PM on 11 November |
| Tilak muhurat (aparahna) | 1:09 PM to 3:19 PM |
| Rahu Kaal (Wednesday) | 12:05 PM to 1:26 PM |
| Best Rahu-free tilak time | 1:26 PM to 3:19 PM |
| Abhijit muhurat | Not used on Wednesdays by most panchangs |
| Moon’s nakshatra in the afternoon | Jyeshtha |
| Also called | Yama Dwitiya, Bhau Beej, Bhai Phonta, Bhai Tika, Bhatru Dwitiya |
| Same day | Chitragupta Puja, Yamuna snan in Mathura |
Why Bhai Dooj is on 11 November 2026
Bhai Dooj is kept on Kartik Shukla Dwitiya, and the tilak belongs to the aparahna, the fourth of the five parts of the day, roughly early to mid-afternoon. On 10 November Dwitiya begins only at 2:01 PM, halfway through that afternoon window, and the day is taken up by Govardhan Puja. On 11 November Dwitiya covers the entire aparahna and lasts until 3:54 PM, so panchangs place Bhai Dooj on the 11th.
This is also why the festival sits three days after Diwali this year instead of the usual two. Calendars for the USA and Canada show 10 November, because there the tithis fall earlier on the local clock.
Bhai Dooj 2026 tilak muhurat in 30 cities
The first column is the full aparahna. The second starts when Wednesday’s Rahu Kaal ends, which is about 16 minutes after the aparahna begins in every city. Many families avoid starting a ceremony in Rahu Kaal, so the bold column is the one to plan around. Dwitiya lasts beyond the end of both windows everywhere in India.
| City | Aparahna muhurat | Rahu-free tilak time |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi | 1:09 PM to 3:19 PM | 1:26 PM to 3:19 PM |
| Noida | 1:09 PM to 3:19 PM | 1:25 PM to 3:19 PM |
| Gurugram | 1:10 PM to 3:20 PM | 1:27 PM to 3:20 PM |
| Chandigarh | 1:10 PM to 3:19 PM | 1:27 PM to 3:19 PM |
| Amritsar | 1:18 PM to 3:26 PM | 1:34 PM to 3:26 PM |
| Ludhiana | 1:14 PM to 3:23 PM | 1:30 PM to 3:23 PM |
| Jammu | 1:17 PM to 3:25 PM | 1:33 PM to 3:25 PM |
| Dehradun | 1:06 PM to 3:14 PM | 1:22 PM to 3:14 PM |
| Jaipur | 1:16 PM to 3:27 PM | 1:32 PM to 3:27 PM |
| Jodhpur | 1:27 PM to 3:38 PM | 1:43 PM to 3:38 PM |
| Lucknow | 12:55 PM to 3:06 PM | 1:11 PM to 3:06 PM |
| Kanpur | 12:58 PM to 3:09 PM | 1:14 PM to 3:09 PM |
| Varanasi | 12:47 PM to 2:59 PM | 1:04 PM to 2:59 PM |
| Agra | 1:07 PM to 3:18 PM | 1:23 PM to 3:18 PM |
| Patna | 12:39 PM to 2:51 PM | 12:55 PM to 2:51 PM |
| Ranchi | 12:39 PM to 2:52 PM | 12:55 PM to 2:52 PM |
| Kolkata | 12:27 PM to 2:40 PM | 12:43 PM to 2:40 PM |
| Bhubaneswar | 12:38 PM to 2:52 PM | 12:54 PM to 2:52 PM |
| Guwahati | 12:12 PM to 2:24 PM | 12:29 PM to 2:24 PM |
| Bhopal | 1:10 PM to 3:24 PM | 1:27 PM to 3:24 PM |
| Indore | 1:17 PM to 3:30 PM | 1:33 PM to 3:30 PM |
| Raipur | 12:54 PM to 3:08 PM | 1:11 PM to 3:08 PM |
| Nagpur | 1:04 PM to 3:19 PM | 1:21 PM to 3:19 PM |
| Ahmedabad | 1:30 PM to 3:43 PM | 1:46 PM to 3:43 PM |
| Surat | 1:29 PM to 3:44 PM | 1:46 PM to 3:44 PM |
| Mumbai | 1:30 PM to 3:45 PM | 1:47 PM to 3:45 PM |
| Pune | 1:26 PM to 3:42 PM | 1:43 PM to 3:42 PM |
| Hyderabad | 1:08 PM to 3:24 PM | 1:25 PM to 3:24 PM |
| Bengaluru | 1:12 PM to 3:31 PM | 1:30 PM to 3:31 PM |
| Chennai | 1:02 PM to 3:21 PM | 1:19 PM to 3:21 PM |
If your brother can only come in the morning or evening, the tilak can still be done while Dwitiya lasts, until 3:54 PM, and many families simply do it when everyone is together. Check your own city’s Rahu Kaal with the Rahu Kalam calculator. Rahu Kaal always overlaps one choghadiya; see the full choghadiya guide.
What to keep in the Bhai Dooj thali
- Roli or kumkum and a little water to mix it, and akshat (unbroken rice)
- A ghee diya and a few incense sticks
- Sweets your brother likes, and a dry coconut (gola) or betel leaf with a supari
- Flowers, a small kalash of water and a clean cloth or handkerchief for his head
- In Bengal, sandalwood paste, kajal, curd, durva grass and paddy for the Bhai Phonta
Bhai Dooj tilak vidhi
- Many sisters keep a light fast in the morning and eat only after the tilak. Bathe and prepare the thali.
- In some North Indian homes the sister first draws a small square with rice flour and does a short puja of Yama, Yamuna and Chitragupta, telling the Bhai Dooj katha.
- Seat your brother facing north or east, on a low stool or a mat inside the square, with his head covered.
- Apply the roli tilak on his forehead and press a few grains of rice on it.
- Do his aarti with the diya, moving it clockwise, and pray for his long life and well-being.
- Place the coconut or betel leaf in his hands and feed him a sweet.
- The brother gives his sister a gift and his blessing or promise of protection, and touches her feet if she is older.
- The meal that follows is a central part of the day: tradition says the brother should eat at his sister’s home on Bhai Dooj.
Unlike Raksha Bandhan, where the sister ties a rakhi, Bhai Dooj is about the brother visiting the sister and being fed by her, just as Yama visited Yamuna. If you live far apart, a video call tilak with the sister applying roli to a photo, or a brother visiting a cousin sister, keeps the spirit.
The story of Yama and Yamuna
Yama, the god of death, and Yamuna, the river goddess, are twins, children of the Sun god Surya and his wife Sanjna. Yamuna loved her brother and invited him again and again to visit her, but the lord of death was always busy with his work. At last, on Kartik Shukla Dwitiya, he came. Yamuna welcomed him with an aarti, put a tilak on his forehead and cooked a feast for him.
Pleased, Yama offered her a boon. She asked that every year on this day he should visit her, and that any brother who receives a tilak and a meal from his sister on this day should be free from the fear of untimely death. Yama granted it, and the day came to be called Yama Dwitiya. In Mathura, brothers and sisters bathe together at Vishram Ghat on the Yamuna on this day.
A second story says that after Krishna killed Narakasura, whose defeat is remembered on Narak Chaturdashi, he went to his sister Subhadra, who welcomed him with a tilak, flowers and sweets.
Bhau Beej, Bhai Phonta and Chitragupta Puja
| Name | Where | What is special |
|---|---|---|
| Bhai Dooj, Bhaiya Dooj | North India | Roli tilak, aarti, the brother’s meal at his sister’s home |
| Bhau Beej | Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka | Aarti of the brother and a festive meal with basundi or shrikhand; a girl with no brother traditionally does the aarti of the Moon instead |
| Bhai Phonta | West Bengal, Tripura | Sandalwood and kajal phonta with the little finger, durva and paddy blessings, a sister’s chant for long life |
| Bhai Tika | Nepal and Darjeeling | The seven-coloured tika and garlands of makhamali flowers on the last day of Tihar |
| Chitragupta Puja | Kayastha families, UP, Bihar, MP | Worship of Chitragupta, keeper of Yama’s records, with pen, ink and account books |
Chitragupta Puja, also called Kalam Dawat Puja, is done in the same afternoon. Families place pens, an inkpot and their account books before an image of Chitragupta and write their income and expenses for the year, along with a prayer, on a fresh sheet. Work involving the pen is often paused for the rest of the day.
The sky on Bhai Dooj
During the tilak the young Moon is in Scorpio, in Jyeshtha nakshatra, the star of the eldest, which fits a day about seniority and protection between siblings. The next evening, 12 November, Mars enters Leo, and Mercury and Venus end their retrograde periods on 13 and 14 November. The November 2026 horoscope covers what follows for each Moon sign. Two days after Bhai Dooj, Chhath begins with Nahay Khay on 13 November.
Siblings often share more of a chart than they expect: the 3rd house shows younger siblings and the 11th elder ones. If you are curious what your Kundli says about your brother or sister, start with a free Kundli, and for dated predictions look at our premium reports.
Frequently asked questions
When is Bhai Dooj in 2026?
Wednesday, 11 November 2026. Dwitiya tithi runs from 2:01 PM on 10 November to 3:54 PM on 11 November.
What is the Bhai Dooj tilak time in 2026?
In Delhi the aparahna muhurat is 1:09 PM to 3:19 PM, and the Rahu-free part is 1:26 PM to 3:19 PM. In Mumbai the Rahu-free time is 1:47 PM to 3:45 PM, and in Kolkata 12:43 PM to 2:40 PM.
Can Bhai Dooj tilak be done in the morning?
Yes, if the afternoon is not possible. Dwitiya is present all morning on 11 November. The afternoon is preferred by tradition, but the tilak itself is what matters.
Is Bhau Beej on the same day in 2026?
Yes. Bhau Beej in Maharashtra and Bhai Phonta in Bengal both fall on Wednesday, 11 November 2026.
What should sisters avoid on Bhai Dooj?
Tradition advises avoiding Rahu Kaal for the tilak, not quarrelling with siblings on the day, and not sending the brother away without a meal. Black clothes are also avoided in many families.
How these timings were worked out: sunrise, sunset, the aparahna (fourth fifth of the day), Wednesday’s Rahu Kaal and the Dwitiya tithi were calculated by Nakshatra Finder for each city with the Swiss Ephemeris, and the New Delhi window was checked against published panchang times. Family customs vary.
About this guide
- Written by
- Vishal Sharma
- Last reviewed
Astrologer, numerologist and Reiki practitioner who also practises tantra. He writes and reviews the Nakshatra, Kundli and Panchang guides on Nakshatra Finder.
Nakshatra Finder guides draw on classical Jyotish sources and Vedic texts, and the positions, padas and spans quoted here follow the sidereal zodiac with the Lahiri (Chitrapaksha) ayanamsha, the same standard our Nakshatra calculator uses. Traits describe tendencies, not certainties: a full reading needs your whole chart.
Spotted an error? Email contact@nakshatrafinder.in and we will review it. Read more about Nakshatra Finder and our disclaimer.
Astrology is a traditional system of guidance. It is not a substitute for medical, legal or financial advice.
3 thoughts on “Bhai Dooj 2026: Best Tilak Time for Your City, the Rahu Kaal Mistake to Avoid, Vidhi and Story”