Everything You Need to Know About Bhai Phota and the Top 10 Bhai Phota Gifts for You This Festive Season (2019)

Bhai Phota is a prominent Hindu festival which is celebrated in the state of West Bengal. It falls during the Diwali week and is also known as Dvitya. The festival is celebrated in order to strengthen the bond between a brother and sister.

Bhai Phota is celebrated with much joy and enthusiasm in West Bengal. Brothers and sisters eagerly wait for this festival. There are various ceremonies that are carried out during this day. It actually celebrates this wonderful bond between a brother and a sister.

Brothers and sisters spend the day together. They exchange gifts as well. Apart from that, many siblings also go out for a trip. People have started celebrating the festival in many different ways. The whole point is to just spend some quality time with one another.

The Bhai Phota ceremonies start from the morning itself. All the Bengali houses are thumping with sounds of conch shells which mark the beginning of the festivities of the day. All the ceremonies take place in the house of the sister, in case she is married.

The entire family gathers for this wonderful occasion. Sisters are dressed in the best of clothes and so are their brothers. The brothers are made to sit on an asana. Then, the sister is supposed to apply a tilak or phota on the brother's forehead while chanting certain mantras. The tilak is a paste of chandan, kajol and dai (sandalwood, kajal and curd).

There is a standard method of applying the phota on the forehead as well. If the sister is elder to the brother, then she applies the phota with the little finger of her left hand. If the sister is younger to her brother, then she applies the phota with the right hand.

After the phota ceremony, the brother is showered with gifts and sweets by the sisters. If the sister is elder, the brother has to touch her feet and the sister will give him rice grains and durba which are blades of grass. This is considered as a blessing. Then. the brother also gives gifts and cash to his sisters.

Bhai Phota is actually not just celebrated in West Bengal. It is celebrated in various parts of the country. The name and ceremonies are different but, the essence of the festival remains the same everywhere. It is celebrated to enjoy the bond between a brother and a sister.

In Bihar there is a completely different ritual. Sisters actually hurl abuses and curses on their brothers. They also prick their tongue after that as a punishment. Then, they ask for forgiveness. On the other hand, brothers bless them and pray for their well-being.

In Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa and Haryana it is known as Bhau Bij or Bhai Bij. Sisters usually apply a normal tilak on their brother's forehead. Then, they prepare a nice meal for him. The brother then showers the sister with gifts. The festival reunites the whole family and everyone celebrates it together.

Even if you are not following any of the rituals and ceremonies, make sure to spend this special day with your brother. Our lives are so fast paced that we often take certain relationships for granted and do not give them the time and importance they deserve. Festivals like these remind us of those bonds.

Plan a nice outing with your brother. If you are elder, then take him to his favourite restaurant for lunch. You can also plan to watch a nice movie together. Apart from that, you can do something that both of you like doing together like playing video games or going for shopping.

You can also plan a nice get together at your place. Invite all your siblings and cousins. All of you can enjoy together and party. In that way, it will be a special occasion for all of you. You can also do the ceremonies together.

If you are looking for a traditional gift to give to your brother, then opt for this Dry Fruits & Mishri in Potli with Roli & Chawal from igp.com. The hamper is packed in a beautiful yellow coloured potli. The potli is decorate with zari work flowers which makes it look festive. The potli contains two different air-tight jars. One has mishri while the other one has almonds. The hamper contains a silver plated container with roli and chawal. The hamper has the moli thread as well.

The whole hampers can be used during the ceremony. It contains items that are needed in the ceremony. Also, giving rice grains as a blessing is a traditional thing and thus, this gift fits appropriately in that category. It is priced for Rs. 575.

If you have a lot of brothers and are looking for something that is cool and also fits in your budget then go for a token gift. This Unique Stuff Personalised Name Acrylic Key Chain is the perfect gift. It is a customised and personalised key chain.

You can get it made in your brother's name. It comes with a key ring as well. They will be able to attach their car of bike's keys with this wonderful key chain. Before placing an order, you will just have to add the correct spelling of the name.

The key chain is made of acrylic material. The name will be written in cursive font which makes it look attractive and artistic. You will get the key chain in a black and white colour combination. It is priced for Rs. 299 and is available on Amazon.

If everything fails, gift your brother a cake. The best part about a cake is that it always make an occasion noteworthy. Write a nice message on the cake like, "Our bond will always last" or "To the best and the most irritating brother of the world".

You can order this Black Forest Cake from Winni. It is a delicious black forest cake with cream. You get options to choose between 500 gm and 1 kg. The bread of the cake is chocolate and the cream of the cake is vanilla. The fill in layers are of dark cherry and the toppings include chocolate flakes and red cherries.

Make sure to store the cake properly in a refrigerator. Also, consume the cake within 24 hours. You also get early morning and late night delivery options and thus, you can order it as per your convenience. The cake can be booked in a circular or heart shape. The price of a 500 gm cake is Rs. 599.

If you are younger than your brother, then you can probably gift him a greeting card. It will surely mean a lot to him. Buying this Happy Bhai Dooj Greeting Card with Roli Chawal from Archies is a wonderful option. It is specially designed for the festival.

The best part is that you will receive roli chawal with this greeting as well. Hence, the card will be completely in sync with the festivities. The length of the card is 8.6 cm and the width of the card is 5.6 cm. The card is printed on one side only. On the other side, you can take the opportunity to pen down your feelings for your brother. You do not have to use fancy words. Just tell him what you feel. You can combine this card with some other gift or a box of chocolates. It is priced for Rs. 90.

You can also gift something that your brother really likes. If he is into sports cars and perfumes, then we have the best gift idea for you. Check this amazing Ferrari Scuderia Black 125 ml for Men from giftcart.com. It has a very refreshing scent and does not fade away easily. You will be able to feel the freshness even after many hours of application. The fragrance contains powerful notes of lime, bergamot and plum with a hint of spicy cardamom which forms a nice aroma.

The perfume can be worn everyday. It comes in a 125 ml packaging. The perfume is packed in a nice black coloured bottle which is secured in an attractive box. You do not have to make any effort for packing the gift. You can give it directly as well. It is priced for Rs. 1,900.

Nutty Gritties Premium Diwali Dry Fruits Gift Box from Amazon is the perfect gift option to gift your brother. It comes with roasted cashews and mixed berries. Dry fruits are the best option to gift during festivities.

The dry fruits are packed in fancy containers. Each container has 100 grams. The cashews and berries are alcohol free and contain no preservatives. Apart from that, the products are completely vegetarian as well.

The boxes are packed in a nice colourful box and thus, it will look nice when you gift it to your brother. The brand also contains packs of 2 and 10 dry fruits. You can order the one which is more convenient to you. The hamper is priced for Rs. 419.

If you are confused about a particular thing, then gift your brother some chocolates. The 9 Pink Roses & Dairy Milk Silk Bouquet from fnp.com is an amazing gift idea. The bouquet looks so attractive and festive, that your brother will immediately love it.

The bouquets come in different sizes like small, medium and large. The one which contains 9 roses and Dairy Milk Silk bouquet is large. This bouquet contains 6 Dairy Milk Silk chocolates. Each of them weighs 60 grams.

The bouquet is carefully packed in a nice pink paper. It also contains some green fillers apart from the roses and chocolates. Once you give him the bouquet, tell him to trim the stems and keep the flowers in water so that they will last longer. Refrigerate the chocolates. It is priced for Rs. 1,699.

Gift this amazing Colour Changing Magic Photo Mug from canvaschamp.in to your younger brother this Bhai Phota. They are colour changing mugs. So, basically if you pour hot water in the mug, it will change from black to colourful. The amazing part is that you can customise the mug with photos. You can customise it with a single photo or multiple hot wrap around. Apart from that, you can also add a nice quote which describes the bond between a brother and sister. The cup is microwave-safe and dishwasher-safe. It has a capacity of 125 ml.

This is a great gift as your brother will remember you every time he is enjoying a hot beverage in this mug. Try and design the mug with his and your photos. You can print from one to four different photos. It is priced for Rs. 249.

The Deep De-Tan Combo from the The Man Company is a great grooming gift for your brother. It is something unique as well as useful. The combo contains one charcoal peel-off mask. It has a quantity of 100 grams. It contains one lemongrass and eucalyptus scrub of 100 grams. The combo also contains one charcoal soap bar and one Ylang-Ylang & Argan Face Wash. It is a complete kit. Activated charcoal is known to remove impurities from the face. It also helps in removing tan. It will brighten his skin as well.

The peel-off mask will be beneficial in pulling out his blackheads, dead skin and excess oil from the face. The scrub will help in removing dust and pollution particles from the skin. The soap removes the dirt and oil from the skin and the face wash rejuvenates the skin and treats acne. The combo is priced for Rs. 1,297.

You can consider gifting clothes to your brother as well. Buy this I Can Do This All Day Half Sleeve T-Shirt from bewakoof.com. It is available in all sizes. The colour options include galaxy blue and jet black. It is a regular fit t-shirt. It is made out of single jersey fabric and is 100% cotton. It has a ribbed knit crew neck. The t-shirt is lightweight and thus, can be worn daily. It is inspired from one of the superheroes and thus, your brother will surely like it. It is priced for Rs. 449.