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Bhai Phota 2026: when and how

After Kali Puja, sisters put the phota on their brothers' foreheads. Here are the date, the steps and the story behind it.

Last checked: 31 Oct 2026 · 2 sources

The date in 2026

By Drik Panchang's reckoning, Bhai Phota in 2026 is Wednesday 11 November. Kartik Shukla Dwitiya runs from 2:00 pm on Tuesday 10 November to 3:53 pm on Wednesday 11 November. Outside India the date can shift by a day. (Source: Hindutone, Bhai Phonta 2026 (Bengal date, citing Drik Panchang))

💡 Some panjikas may differ on the date, so check the one at home.

How the phota is given

A phota of sandalwood, kajal and curd goes on the brother's forehead. The plate holds sandalwood paste, kajal, curd, a lamp, paddy and durba grass, and sweets, and sometimes a small gift. (Source: Hindutone, Bhai Phonta 2026 (Bengal date, citing Drik Panchang))

A rhyme goes with it: “Bhaiyer kopale dilam phota, Jomer duare porlo kanta” (I mark my brother's forehead, and thorns fall at Yama's door). The lines that follow differ from family to family. (Source: Hindutone, Bhai Phonta 2026 (Bengal date, citing Drik Panchang))

💡 If your brother lives far away, show him the plate on a video call, say the rhyme, and send a greeting card. The thought is what counts.

The story of Yama and Yamuna

In the commonly told version, Yamuna had long invited her brother Yama. When he came, she welcomed him with a tilak, a lamp and a meal. Pleased, Yama declared that any brother who receives a tilak from his sister on this day will be protected from untimely death. (Source: Hindutone, Bhai Phonta 2026 (Bengal date, citing Drik Panchang))

The legendary meeting is between Yama, the god of death, and his sister Yamuna, the river, on the second lunar day after the new moon. (Source: Wikipedia, Bhai Dooj)

Bhai Dooj, Bhau Beej and Bhai Phota

The same festival has different names. It is Bhai Phota in West Bengal, Tripura and Bangladesh; Bhau Beej among Marathi, Gujarati and Konkani speakers; and Bhai Tika in Nepal, where it is the fifth day of Tihar. The tithi is the second day of the bright fortnight of Kartik everywhere. (Source: Wikipedia, Bhai Dooj)

In Bengal it is held each year on the second day after Kali Puja, with a grand feast for the brothers. (Source: Wikipedia, Bhai Dooj)

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