Kathmandu – Nepal is celebrating Bhai Tika today, November 11, marking the final and most significant day of the five-day Tihar festival. Sisters are applying traditional five-coloured or seven-coloured tika to their brothers, offering prayers for their long life, good health, happiness and prosperity.
Bhai Tika holds special religious and cultural importance as a celebration of the bond between brothers and sisters. The occasion brings families together to exchange blessings, gifts and expressions of love and respect.
According to Hindu tradition, sisters perform special rituals and apply tika to their brothers while wishing them protection from misfortune and a long, healthy life. Brothers also apply tika to their sisters and offer gifts as a symbol of affection and gratitude.
Although Bhai Tika can be performed throughout the day, the auspicious time for those wishing to observe a specific muhurat has been set at 11:07 AM.
According to the Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Development Committee, sisters applying tika should face east, while brothers receiving tika should face west. The arrangement follows traditional astrological beliefs concerning the position of the Moon during auspicious ceremonies.
As part of the celebrations, sisters offer their brothers walnuts, chestnuts, traditional spices, sel roti and other festive foods. Brothers, in return, present their sisters with clothes, money and other gifts according to their means.
The festival is also associated with the traditional belief that Yamuna performed special prayers for her brother Yama, the Hindu god of death, seeking his long life and well-being. This story remains central to the religious significance of Bhai Tika.
Families across Nepal are observing the occasion with colourful tika, flower garlands, traditional meals and gatherings, bringing the annual Tihar festival to a close with blessings and renewed family bonds.
