The festival of Tika is celebrated in
Punjab and
Haryana, during the months of October and November on the day following the festival of
Diwali. The Tika festival celebrates the bonding between a sister and her brother. Women put a ‘tika’ (mark) of saffron and rice grains on the foreheads of their brothers, to protect them from evil. They feed their brothers sweets. They also sing songs and offer prayers for their brothers’ longevity and prosperity. The brothers present their sisters with gifts or money as a token of their affection.
