Hindu festival · computed for New Delhi
Bhai Dooj 2026 Date and Tilak Muhurat
In 2026, Bhai Dooj in New Delhi falls on Wednesday, 11 November 2026. Yama Dwitiya — sisters apply tilak and pray for their brothers.
Tilak Muhurat: Aparāhṇa: the fourth fifth of the daytime, while the tithi lasts.
How the date is decided
Kartika Shukla Dwitiya (Yama Dwitiya), on the day the Dwitiya covers the afternoon (aparāhṇa). If it touches the afternoon on two days, the day it covers more of it.
This year the tithi touches the required time on two days; the tie-break in the rule above picks this one.
Dates for the next few years (New Delhi)
| Year | Date | Tilak Muhurat |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Wednesday, 11 November Shukla Dwitiya: 2:00 PM, 10 Nov → 3:54 PM, 11 Nov | 1:10 PM – 3:20 PM |
| 2027 | Sunday, 31 October Shukla Dwitiya: 5:52 PM, 30 Oct → 5:13 PM, 31 Oct | 1:11 PM – 3:24 PM |
| 2028 | Thursday, 19 October Shukla Dwitiya: 5:01 AM, 19 Oct → 1:59 AM, 20 Oct | 1:14 PM – 3:31 PM |
See the day's full panchang for New Delhi →
In your city
The tithi changes at the same instant everywhere, but sunrise, sunset, midnight and moonrise are local — so the day a festival falls on can differ between cities, especially abroad.
| Date | Wednesday, 11 November 2026 |
|---|---|
| Tilak Muhurat | 1:10 PM – 3:20 PM |
Cities with a different date in 2026
- Dubai: Tuesday, 10 November 2026
- London: Tuesday, 10 November 2026
- New York: Tuesday, 10 November 2026
- Toronto: Tuesday, 10 November 2026
- San Francisco Bay Area: Tuesday, 10 November 2026
About the festival
Bhai Dooj, also called Bhaiya Dooj, Bhau Beej, Bhai Tika or Yama Dwitiya, falls on the second day of the bright fortnight of Kartika and closes the five days of Diwali. The story is that Yama, god of death, visited his sister Yamuna on this day; she welcomed him with tilak and a meal, and he blessed every brother who visits his sister on this day.
Sisters apply a tilak of roli and rice on their brothers' foreheads, perform aarti, feed them sweets and pray for their long and happy lives; brothers give gifts in return. In Nepal and among Nepali-speaking communities, Bhai Tika is the last day of Tihar, with a seven-coloured tika and garlands of makhamali flowers. In Bengal it is Bhai Phonta.
The tilak is traditionally applied in the afternoon (aparāhṇa), so the date is the day on which Dwitiya covers it.
Common questions
When is Bhai Dooj 2026?
In New Delhi, Bhai Dooj 2026 is on Wednesday, 11 November 2026. Shukla Dwitiya: 2:00 PM, 10 Nov → 3:54 PM, 11 Nov.
What is the Tilak Muhurat for Bhai Dooj 2026?
For New Delhi: 1:10 PM – 3:20 PM. It is computed from the city's own sunrise and sunset, so other cities differ by a few minutes or more.
Is Bhai Dooj on the same date in every city?
Mostly, but not everywhere: in 2026 the date differs in Dubai, London, New York, Toronto, San Francisco Bay Area, because local sunrise, sunset or moonrise falls on the other side of the tithi change there.
How is Bhai Dooj different from Raksha Bandhan?
Both celebrate the bond of brothers and sisters. On Raksha Bandhan the sister ties a rakhi; on Bhai Dooj she applies a tilak and usually hosts her brother for a meal, recalling Yamuna's welcome of Yama. Bhai Dooj also closes the Diwali festival.