Bhai Dooj in Delhi
भाई दूज · दिल्ली
Dates for Delhi are being computed; check back after the next daily update.
| City | Delhi, India |
|---|---|
| Time zone | Asia/Kolkata |
| Tithi / timing | Kartik Shukla Dwitiya |
| Deity | Yama / Yamuna |
| Observance | Sibling tilak |
| Where | North India, Maharashtra, Nepal |
Date and timing in this city
Bhai Dooj in Delhi falls on Kartik Shukla Dwitiya, the second tithi of the bright fortnight of Kartik. The observance is tied to Yama and Yamuna, and the central act is the sibling tilak — a mark applied by a sister to her brother's forehead.
Because the tithi is reckoned from the local sunrise, the date is computed for Delhi's own sunrise rather than for a single all-India reference. Delhi keeps Asia/Kolkata time throughout the year, so there is no separate clock adjustment to make; what changes is the sunrise used to open the day on which Dwitiya is current.
For Delhi, the dates are:
- 2026: Wednesday 11 November 2026
- 2027: Sunday 31 October 2027
Readers who follow a panchang that fixes the tithi differently may see the observance noted on an adjacent day. Where family or regional practice differs, it is best to follow the panchang your household has always used, or to consult a qualified jyotishi for a personal reading.
Why the date can differ from India
A tithi is a segment of the Moon's movement measured from the Sun, and its span is not twenty-four hours. It begins and ends at its own moments, and the day it is assigned to depends on which sunrise it is current at.
Sunrise in Delhi is not the same moment as sunrise in the far east or far south of the country. When Dwitiya begins or ends close to a sunrise, a small difference in that sunrise can move the observance by a day in one place and not another. This is why a single national date does not always fit every city, and why Delhi's date is worked out for Delhi.
Where and how the community celebrates
Bhai Dooj is observed across North India, Maharashtra and Nepal, with local names and local detail. In Delhi the pattern is familiar: sisters apply tilak to their brothers, and the meeting is a family one, held at home or wherever the family gathers.
Traditions differ. Some households keep the Yama–Yamuna association at the centre of the day; others keep a simpler sibling rite. Smarta and Vaishnava reckonings, and amanta and purnimanta month systems, can place the tithi differently. These are variations within the tradition, not errors, and this page does not pick one over another.
Practical tips
- Note the date for your city rather than assuming one date fits all of India.
- Check your family's own panchang if the household has followed one for generations.
- Since the tithi is tied to sunrise, plan the tilak for the daytime portion of the tithi.
- For anything relating to your own chart, consult a qualified jyotishi.