"Bhaitika" brings together siblings from Burma and Nepal

Bharatpur [Nepal], October 23 : This year's Bhaitika, the final day of Yama Panchak, became special for Ramesh Gautam as he got to celebrate the sibling festival for the first time. Clad in a Nepali Dhaka topi and with a seven-colored tika on his forehead and a garland of marigold around his neck, Ramesh celebrated this festival for the first time in Nepal.

Bhaitika, which falls on the second lunar day of Shukla Paksha (Bright fortnight) in the month of Kartik in the Bikram Sambat (BS) calendar, is believed to strengthen the bond between brothers and sisters.

"I came from Burma (Myanmar) to celebrate the festival with the family of my grandparent's siblings. My grandfather had left Nepal about 90 years back, and today I am here celebrating the festival of Diwali. This festival has continued since ages," Ramesh told ANI.

"Today we are celebrating the festival of Bhaitika, the final day of Tihar. On this day, sisters pray for the removal of obstacles for their brothers and the well-being of the siblings. We have just completed the ritual of receiving the tika; the celebration is about to start for this reunion," Ramesh added.

Also revered as Yam Panchak, the nation rejoices in the observance of Bhai Tika, when sisters, with hearts full of devotion, faith, and loyalty, adorn their brothers with vibrant or seven-colored tika, praying for their longevity, health, and prosperity.

The reunion of brothers and sisters is also linked with the religious belief of Yama, the lord of death, meeting his sister Yamuna. Yama is believed to meet his sister Yamuna after a long time, and Yamuna puts tika on her brother's forehead and prays for his well-being.

Following Yamuna, sisters ask brothers to sit in a specially anointed place around which a trail of mustard oil is drawn, which is believed to protect brothers from Yama. It is also believed that the trail will never dry out and will always keep them protected from devils or evil powers.

After drawing the trail, the sisters put on the colorful tika consisting of seven colors and a garland of marigold or globe amaranth (Makhamali) around the neck of their brothers. Brothers also do the same for their sisters.

The sisters also offer their brothers a treat that consists of sweets, walnuts, spices, and "Sel," a special cake made of rice flour, deep-fried in oil, shaped like a ring and filled with sugar. Brothers, in return, reward their sisters with presents and money.

"Today is the last day of Tihar, Bhaitika, and this festival of Tihar is observed for five days. On this last day, we just offered tika to each other, brothers and sisters, and we are wrapping it up," Puja Sharma, a resident of Bharatpur who also offered tika to Ramesh, told ANI.

Each year, the fifth day of Tihar, which stands as the second grandest festival in Nepal, is commemorated on the Shukla Dwitiya of Kartik, a day when brothers receive tika from their beloved sisters. This day is also known as Yama Dwitiya.

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