Bhai Dooj 2025 was observed on October 23, 2025. The festival belongs to the extended Diwali season and highlights the emotional bond between brothers and sisters. In the usual observance, sisters apply tilak on their brothers' foreheads and pray for their long life and well-being, while brothers give gifts and reaffirm the relationship. On the same date, Manipur celebrated Ningol Chakouba, a traditional Meitei festival connected with the bond between married women and their natal families. During Ningol Chakouba, married women visit their parental homes, share a family feast and renew ties with parents, siblings and the wider family.

For RAS and UPSC-style preparation, this update is useful under Indian society and culture. The two festivals show how similar family values are expressed through different regional traditions. Bhai Dooj is known in many parts of India as a brother-sister festival, while Ningol Chakouba is closely linked with the Meitei cultural identity of Manipur. In prelims, the likely angle is a festival-state-community match: Ningol Chakouba - Manipur - Meitei community - married women visiting the parental home. In mains, the example can be used to discuss family, women’s continuing relationship with the natal household, regional diversity and cultural unity. The safest facts to retain are the date, October 23, 2025; the state, Manipur; the community, Meitei; and the core idea of Ningol Chakouba as a homecoming festival for married women.