On Bhai Dooj after Diwali, sisters apply a sacred mark on their brothers’ foreheads, praying for their well-being. The essence of it is a wish for the brother’s long life and a future filled with happiness and prosperity. But could any Bhai Dooj ritual (Bhai Phonta) involve wishing for a brother’s death?
This unique ritual of sisters cursing their brothers on Bhai
Dooj ritual is part of local traditions in some areas of Chhattisgarh,
Jharkhand, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh. According to various sources, a particular
community in the Jashpur district of Chhattisgarh follows this tradition.
In this community, sisters use harsh, even abusive language
to curse their brothers or elder brothers, wishing for their death. But after
delivering the curse, they also perform a ritual of atonement. All of it is
done according to tradition. Behind this practice lies an old folk belief.
As per the custom, on the morning of Bhai Dooj, sisters wake
up and immediately curse their brothers. Afterwards, they prick their tongues
with a thorn as a form of penance. It is believed that following this ritual on
Bhai Dooj wards off the fear of Yamraj, the god of death.
According to the local belief of the people in these regions, once Yamraj came to earth to take the life of a man whose sister had never cursed him. He eventually found such a man—deeply loved by his sister, and the idea of wishing for his death had never even crossed her mind. When the sister learned that Yamraj intended to kill her brother, she immediately began hurling abuses at her brother and cursing him. Because of this, Yamraj could no longer take his life. From then on, people in these areas have been following this ritual. They believe that by doing so, they can truly “pierce a thorn” at the gates of death and keep Yamraj away.