Bhai Dooj Tikka Multani Style

Bhai Dooj Tikka celebrates the bond of love between brothers and sisters, and is popularly observed as the last and fifth day of the Diwali festival by Hindus/Sikhs of western Pakistan. On this day, sisters apply tika made of Zafran and rice on the forehead and ears of their brothers and pray for their well-being. 

Brothers give cash/gifts in return.

Prior to that the family Pandit or head would record the celebrations in ‘Geru’ on a corner of a prominent wall in sitting room or kitchen. I will write as per my Dad Style like given below:

੧ਓ ਸਤਿ ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦ 

ਅੱਜ ਤਾਰੀਖ਼ ਨਵੰਬਰ ੧੬, ੨੦੨੦, ਦਿਹਾੜਾ ਸੋਮਵਾਰ ਪ੍ਰੀਤ ਮੋਹਨ ਸਿੰਘ, ਹਰਵਿੰਦਰ ਕੌਰ, ਸ਼ਿਵਪਰੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ, ਦਸ਼ਮਿਦਂਰ ਕੌਰ, ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਸਿੰਘ, ਜਾਨਿਆ ਕੌਰ ਤੇ ਗੀਤ ਕੌਰ ਲਕਸ਼ਮੀ ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰ ਕੇ ਦਿਵਾਲੀ ਮਨਾਈ।

So every year, the whole house will get cleaned up, white washed and the old writings will get erased too.

I have seen similar writings in Lachhmi Masi House, Hari Bai Masi house, and in Bai ji house in their respective kitchens.

Bhagwant, Ambu and Bobi may recall this in our Panipat house.

On Tikka day, My Dad will push some coins in my hands to hand them over to my sisters.

And when I grew up, he made sure that I was ready with cash at the time ceremony. He will not start the ceremony until I got money from my Wallet. He hated my habit of saying ‘later’. 

‘Did you bring the money?’, was enquisistive first question every time knowing my lithargic and ‘putting off’ habit.

It was also a tradition to place Zafran on the shelled Almond a keep it safe till the sister virtually meets the brother in person and hands over zaforon pasted Almond. Most of the brothers who were on a Military duty, this procedure was adopted.

It was also a opportunity occasion when die t some unforeseen reasons, the siblings will be at logger heads at eac other. So on Bhai Tikka day they will assemble among other common relatives and thrash out out their differences. 

On my sister Bhagwant wedding, it happened to be a Tikka day. Due to trifle reasons, our cousin Satwant had not done Tika on her older Brother S Hari Narain Singh for past couple of years. So prominent family members made them thrash out their differences and Tikka was done. So Tikka gives an opportunity and and reason to continue to exchange love within the siblings and unite the family.