What to keep on the tilak thali
- Roli or kumkum and akshat (whole rice)
- A ghee diya
- Kalawa (mauli, sacred red thread)
- Sweets, a dry coconut (many families give a dried coconut gola), supari, paan
- Flowers and a little Ganga jal
- In some homes, a handkerchief to cover the head
- Buy the items online: Buy puja samagri
Tilak vidhi: step by step
- After bathing in the morning, the sister makes a chowk (rangoli) with rice flour. In many homes the sister fasts until the tilak.
- At the auspicious time, seat the brother on the chowk facing east or north and cover his head with a handkerchief.
- Remember Ganesh ji and light the diya.
- Apply a roli tilak on the brother's forehead and put akshat on it.
- Tie the kalawa on the brother's right wrist and give him the dry coconut, paan and supari.
- Do the brother's aarti with the diya and pray for his long life.
- Feed the brother sweets. The brother touches his sister's feet (or follows the family custom) and gives her a gift.
- The brother eats at his sister's home on this day; this is the main custom of Yama Dwitiya.
What the brother should give his sister
- Clothes, a saree or suit, jewellery or a silver coin
- Something she needs: a book, a watch, kitchen items, a mobile accessory
- Cash or a shagun envelope
- For a younger sister: toys, chocolates or study supplies
- Sitting together for a meal and giving time matters more than an expensive gift.
Other customs of Yama Dwitiya
- In Mathura, brothers and sisters bathe together in the Yamuna on this day; lakhs of devotees reach Vishram Ghat every year.
- On the same day the Kayastha community does Chitragupt Puja and worships the pen and inkpot.
- Bhai Duj Ki Katha (Yamraj and Yamuna): read Bhai Duj Ki Katha.
- If the brother is far away, the sister can do the tilak and aarti on a video call, and the brother can apply the tilak on his own forehead.
Information checked: October 27, 2026. These are traditions and beliefs; give priority to your own family's customs.