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Indulge in some sibling revelry on Bhai Dooj
Celebrate this Nov 1 as Bhai Dooj, Bhai Phota or Bhau Beej – like 007, the brother-sister bond will never die
Celebrate this Nov 1 as Bhai Dooj, Bhai Phota or Bhau Beej – like 007, the brother-sister bond will never die
The brother-sister bond in India is not just the stuff of movies, it goes back to the time of mythology. A softer side of the feared Lord Yama, a central figure in the Dhanteras tradition, emerges in the Bhai Dooj story. It seems he was separated from his sister Yami for a long time. When reunited, an overjoyed Yami celebrated with a grand feast. The lord of death was mighty pleased and blessed all the brothers of the world: every brother who reciprocates the love of his sister will live long and prosper and be free of the effects of karma. Another story goes that Lord Krishna, after slaying Narakasura (told you this was an action-packed time!), went to visit his sister Subhadra, who garlanded him, fed him sweets and applied a tilak – a practice that continues to this day. The festival that celebrates the beautiful bond between brother and sister is known as Bhai Phota in Bengal and Bhau Beej in Maharashtra and Gujarat. Never mind what it’s called, it’s an occasion for sisters to spoil their brothers silly and vice versa.
New Age Bhai Dooj
* Share an adventure: Tie up with your sister to do something exciting. Sign up for scuba-diving classes or try your hand at para-gliding. Go river-rafting or simply hit a challenging trekking trail. An adrenaline rush and all that affection is going to be great.
* Revisit your childhood: Brothers and sisters get so close because of their shared childhood. Make a video of your funniest, goofiest moments as children. Or, make an album of wacky photos. Even a playlist of songs you enjoyed as kids could be so much fun.
Thoughtful does it
Stay away from the generic saree, or chocolates and perfumes. Get personal. Is your sister a passionate baker? Buy her kitchen equipment. Is your brother a gadget freak? Spoil him with gizmos. Thoughtful does it.
Wazwaan With The Bals
Only in our family
Seen mostly in the company of his friends, Rohit Bal may not be known as a traditional family man, but the designer’s affection for his sister, Aruna Bal Sharma, 18 years his senior, was evident when they came together for this special shoot for HT Brunch. In fact, October 2, the day this picture was shot, was Aruna’s 70th birthday and party king Bal used the excuse to host a birthday party. “No celebration in our family is complete without traditional Kashmiri fare,” says Aruna. “Our celebratory meal has a total of 36 Kashmiri dishes, including roghan josh and Kashmiri chaman (paneer).”
And this year...
Aruna says, “We are going to Thailand this December and everyone’s excited about it already!”
Who’s gifting who what?
Rohit to Aruna:“I’d like to give her a tight hug and something practical, maybe a gadget.”
Aruna to Rohit: “A crystal vase because Gudda loves crystal!”
-- Vidya Prabhu
From HT Brunch, October 8, 2016
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