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Brothers and sisters will celebrate 'Bhai Dooj' in India on 13 November this year.
It falls on the fifth day of Diwali, marking the end of the festive week of lights, crackers and fireworks.
The festival, which is closely related to the much-celebrated 'Raksha Bandhan' (Rakhi), falls on the second day of the fortnight or Shukla Paksha of the Hindu month of Kartika.
It is believed that the origin of the auspicious festival is from a tale of Lord Krishna and his sister Subhadra.
According to Hindu mythology, after killing demon Narkasur, Lord Krishna visited his sister Subhadra who gave him a warm welcome with sweets and flowers. She also affectionately applied tilak on Krishna's forehead.
Thus, to celebrate 'Bhai Dooj', sisters perform the ritual of applying tika on their brothers' forehead and pray for their long and happy life.
The tika ceremony on the occasion signifies the sisters' prayers for the happy life of her brother. In return, brothers bless their sisters and treat them with gifts or cash.
The festival is celebrated with much excitement in the northern parts of India. It is addressed differently in different cultures, for example, "Bhau-Beej" in Marathi and "Bhai Phota" in Bengali.
One of the best ways of celebrating the day is by sending messages to your brothers and sisters to make the day more enjoyable and memorable.
Check out the above slideshow for picture messages to send to your beloved ones.
