Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India] : Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan celebrated ‘Bhai Dooj’ at CM’s residence in the state capital Bhopal on Wednesday.
During the celebrations, the Ladli Bahans applied tilak to Chief Minister and he extended greetings and best wishes to all the women. The Chief Minister also joined the Ladli Bahnas as they sang prayers, and wishes for him and shared a few dance steps with the women on the occasion.
CM Chouhan told, “I wish a very happy Bhai Dooj to all my sisters. I will always work to ensure that my sisters have happiness and prosperity in their lives. We first made the Ladli Lakshmi Yojana. We have also already given 35% reservation to women in all jobs except forest department and 50% reservation in teachers’ jobs. After that, we made Ladli Bahna Yojana.”
Under Ladli Bahna Yojana, currently Rs 1250 is being deposited in the accounts of the women and it will further increase to Rs 3,000 in coming days, he added.
“After Ladli Bahna, we will start Ladli Lakhpati Yojana, which means that each of my sisters should earn at least Rs 10,000 every month along with doing household work. Currently, there are 15 lakh Lakhpati Bahna in the state with the help of self help groups. We will make every sister a millionaire (Lakhpati) through this scheme,” the CM added.
Bhai Dooj is a festival that symbolises the love and bond between brothers and sisters. On this special day, sisters pray for their brothers’ long and happy lives by applying a ‘Tika’ on their foreheads. The occasion is further marked by the exchange of gifts and sweets between brothers and sisters, reinforcing their bond.
Bhai Dooj is known by several names in other parts of India. In North India, it is known as Bhai Dooj, Bhau Bij, and Bhai Beej, and in Maharashtra, this day is celebrated as Bhai Tika. This day is celebrated as Bhai Phonta in Bengal.
In the southern regions of India, particularly in Karnataka and Telangana, Bhai Dooj is celebrated as Yama Dwitiya. The mythology behind this celebration is that Goddess Yamuna fed her brother Yamraj at her own home on the day of Kartik Dwitiya. Since then, this day has been recognised and celebrated as Yama Dwitiya.
Numerous ancient Hindu scriptures have mentioned Bhai Dooj as a celebration of bonding and eternal love between brothers and sisters. There are several tales associated with the origin of the occasion and the most well-known are those of Lord Krishna and Yamraj.