Mathura, Oct 23 (IANS) A wave of devotion swept through Mathura on the auspicious occasion of Bhai Dooj, celebrated two days after Diwali. The festival, observed on Kartik Shukla Dwitiya and also known as Yama Dwitiya, drew massive crowds to the ghats of the Yamuna River. Around 1.25 lakh devotees gathered at Vishram Ghat to take the holy dip, marking the spiritual highlight of the day.

The ancient Yamraj Temple, located on the banks of the Yamuna at Vishram Ghat, became the centre of the celebrations, where the main bathing rituals took place. From the elderly to young children, devotees immersed themselves in the sacred river with deep faith, believing the ritual ensures liberation from untimely death. Brothers and sisters bathed together, symbolising love, protection, and the wish for a long life.

After the ritual bath, sisters seated their brothers on a pedestal and applied tilak on their foreheads. They then proceeded to the Yamraj-Yamuna Temple situated near the ghat steps, where they performed worship by lighting lamps and offering prayers according to Vedic traditions. Priests at the site conducted the rituals on behalf of the devotees, chanting hymns and invoking blessings for the siblings.

According to Hindu mythology, the festival of Bhai Dooj celebrates the affection between Yamraj, the god of death, and his sister Yamuna. It is believed that Yamraj, unable to visit his sister due to his duties in Yampuri, once accepted her invitation on Kartik Shukla Dwitiya. Pleased by her hospitality, he granted her a boon — that any brother who visits his sister, eats a meal at her home, and receives her blessings on this day will be blessed with long life, prosperity, and protection from premature death.

Since then, Bhai Dooj has been observed as a symbol of sibling love and protection. In Mathura, the tradition of bathing together in the Yamuna is especially significant. It is believed to bring happiness, prosperity, and good fortune. During the puja, sisters pray to Yamraj and Yamuna for their brothers’ long lives, invoking blessings of immortality like that of the eight immortals Markandeya, Hanuman, Bali, Parashurama, Vyasa, Vibhishana, Kripacharya, and Ashwatthama.

–IANS

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