✍️ By Rahul Goyal · Chandigarh Life
Quick answer: Bhai Dooj 2026 falls on Wednesday, 11 November, the final day of the five-day Diwali festival. Sisters apply tilak to their brothers’ foreheads and pray for their well-being, and brothers in turn pledge to protect their sisters. In Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, Wikipedia records a dry coconut called gola, with kalawa tied along its width, used when the brother’s aarti is done.
Date last checked on 7 October 2026 against the Chandigarh Administration’s 2026 holiday list and Drik Panchang (calculated for Chandigarh).
Every 2026 festival date, with its weekday and whether it is a holiday in Chandigarh, is in our Chandigarh festival calendar.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Date | Wednesday, 11 November 2026 |
| Holiday status | Restricted holiday on the Chandigarh Administration list and the central government list |
| Dwitiya tithi | 2:00 PM on 10 November to 3:53 PM on 11 November, calculated for Chandigarh |
| Tika window | 1:11 PM to 3:19 PM on 11 November, calculated for Chandigarh |
| Negotiable Instruments Act list | Not on the Chandigarh Administration’s list, unlike 9 November |
| Next year | Sunday, 31 October 2027 |
The Legend Behind Bhai Dooj
Bhai Dooj marks the day Yamraj, the god of death, visited his sister Yamuna, who welcomed him with a tilak and a feast. Pleased, Yama declared that any brother who receives his sister’s tilak on this day, with the same love, would be blessed with a long life and protection from untimely death. The festival — also known as Bhai Teeka in Nepal and Bhai Phonta in Bengal, where it falls on the second day after Kali Puja, and Bhai Phota in Bengal — celebrates that same bond across the country, falling on Dwitiya, the second lunar day of the bright fortnight of Kartika. In 2026 that is Wednesday, 11 November, three days after the 8 November Diwali holiday.
How Bhai Dooj Is Observed
Sisters perform an aarti and apply tilak to their brothers’ foreheads, followed by a meal together and an exchange of gifts. In Haryana, families add a dry coconut called gola, with kalawa tied along its width, when the sister does the brother’s aarti. Practice differs between households, so follow your own family’s custom. Bhai Duj is a restricted holiday on the Chandigarh Administration’s 2026 list and is not one of its public holidays. The ceremony is a family one in which the brother travels to meet his sister.
Bhai Dooj 2026 Date
Bhai Dooj 2026 falls on Wednesday, 11 November, closing out the five-day Diwali festival that begins with Dhanteras. See our full Diwali in Chandigarh guide for the complete calendar.
Tika time in Chandigarh
The Dwitiya tithi begins at 2:00 PM on 10 November and ends at 3:53 PM on 11 November, calculated for Chandigarh. Drik Panchang gives the Aparahna tika window on Wednesday, 11 November as 1:11 PM to 3:19 PM. These are astronomical calculations. If the exact hour matters to your family, confirm it with your priest.
Is Bhai Dooj a holiday in Chandigarh?
The Chandigarh Administration lists Bhai Duj on Wednesday, 11 November as a restricted holiday, and so does the central government. Each employee may choose any two restricted holidays in the year. The public holiday that week is Diwali on Sunday, 8 November. Govardhan Puja/Vishwakarma Day on Monday, 9 November is on the Administration’s Negotiable Instruments Act list, but Bhai Duj is not, so confirm with your bank branch if you need it that day.
Two stories behind the day
The name Yama Dwitiya comes from a legendary meeting between Yama and his sister Yamuna. Wikipedia also gives a second account: after Krishna slew Narakasura he visited his sister Subhadra, who welcomed him with sweets and flowers and applied tilaka to his forehead.
Bhai Dooj 2027
Bhai Duj falls on Sunday, 31 October 2027 in the central government’s list, and the panchang calculated for Chandigarh gives the same day, with the tika window from 1:12 PM to 3:24 PM. Confirm the local holiday date when the Chandigarh Administration issues its 2027 notification.
More festival guides
- Govardhan Puja in Chandigarh: Monday, 9 November by the government list, Tuesday, 10 November by the panchang.
- Diwali in Chandigarh: Sunday, 8 November.
- Dhanteras in Chandigarh: Friday, 6 November, and the shopping.
- Chhath Puja in Chandigarh: 13 to 16 November, and the ghats.
- Chandigarh festival calendar 2026: every date, verified.
FAQ’s
When is Bhai Dooj 2026?
Wednesday, 11 November 2026, the fifth and final day of the Diwali festival.
What is the story behind Bhai Dooj?
It marks Yamraj’s visit to his sister Yamuna, who welcomed him with tilak and a feast. Yama blessed brothers who receive their sister’s tilak on this day with long life and protection.
What is the gola custom on Bhai Dooj?
In Haryana and Uttar Pradesh a dry coconut called gola, with kalawa tied along its width, is used when the sister does the brother’s aarti.
Is Bhai Dooj a public event in Chandigarh?
Bhai Duj is a restricted holiday in Chandigarh, not a public holiday, and the ceremony is a family occasion in which the brother visits his sister.
When is Bhai Dooj 2026 in Chandigarh?
Wednesday, 11 November 2026. The tika window calculated for Chandigarh is 1:11 PM to 3:19 PM.
Is Bhai Dooj a holiday in Chandigarh?
It is a restricted holiday on the Chandigarh Administration list for 2026, and each employee may choose two restricted holidays. It is not on the Administration’s Negotiable Instruments Act list.
When is Bhai Dooj in 2027?
Sunday, 31 October 2027 in the central government list.
Sources
- Drik Panchang, Bhai Dooj 2026 for Chandigarh
- Department of Personnel and Training, holidays 2027
- Drik Panchang, Bhai Dooj 2027 for Chandigarh
- Chandigarh Administration Home Department, holidays for 2026 (notification of 30 December 2025)
- Wikipedia, Bhai Dooj
- Wikipedia, Diwali
- Department of Personnel and Training, holidays 2026
The facts added to this page on 20 September 2026 were checked against the sources above.
