After a yr’s break, plans set for big Bhai Phonta reunion

Kolkata: City households geared up to celebrate Bhai Phonta, Bhai Dooj (for Punjabis) and Bhai Beej (for Gujaratis) on Saturday after last year’s muted celebrations and virtual get-togethers. A small section of Bengali households, however, organised the ritual on Friday itself, on the first day after amavasya.

Pinaki Ranjan Sinha, a senior marketing executive of Tata Metallics, drove down to his ancestral place at Dantan where a gala celebration was organised by his sisters. Last year, he had Covid and the family’s traditional get-together could not be held. “This time we started planning in advance. My parents have also invited their siblings,” he said.

For Souvik Das, accepting “phonta” on screen last year was an unnatural affair. He was brought up by his sister Soumi, who had Covid last year and a virtual phonta was the only option. “For me, Rakhi and Bhai Phonta are the two most important celebrations of the year and we could not meet for either. We will make up for it this year,” Das said.

“The screen phonta was always meant for those who live in other cities, but we were helpless last year,” said Dipanwita Saha, a businesswoman who lives in Urbana.

Anmol Kapoor, whose brother Adarsh is a PG student in Canada and was home last year, said, “I got to celebrate Bhai Dooj at home. But this year, he has gone back to campus and I will have to see him on a video call,” she said.