Kashi Bharat Milap 2025 Date: When Lord Rama met his younger brother Bharat after 14 years of exile

Kashi Bharat Milap 2025 Date: When Lord Rama met his younger brother Bharat after 14 years of exile (AI generated image)

Kashi Bharat Milap 2025 will be celebrated on Friday, October 3, 2025, a day after Vijayadashami which falls on Thursday, October 2, 2025. This marks the 483rd Bharat Milap festival in Varanasi, an event deeply rooted in Hindu tradition and celebrated with immense devotion and grandeur.

The festival commemorates the divine reunion of Lord Rama and his younger brother Bharat, after Rama’s return from his 14-year exile (vanvas). The sacred event symbolizes love, sacrifice, and the victory of righteousness, making it one of the most significant occasions observed in Varanasi (Kashi) and other regions of India.

Kashi Bharat Milap Muhurat 2025

Significance of Bharat Milap

Bharat Milap is mentioned in the Uttara Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana. According to the scriptures, when Lord Rama completed his exile and returned to Ayodhya, his loyal brother Bharat welcomed him with immense love and reverence.

In one account, Lord Hanuman first conveyed the news of Rama’s return to Bharat. The reunion between the two brothers became a symbol of devotion, loyalty, and brotherhood.

In another version, Bharat, deeply pained by Rama’s exile, traveled to Chitrakoot to persuade him to return to Ayodhya. Rama, bound by the promise made to his father King Dasharatha, refused to ascend the throne. Bharat then placed Rama’s Charan Paduka (holy sandals) on the throne of Ayodhya and ruled as his representative until Rama’s return.

This heartfelt reunion is remembered as Bharat Milap, a powerful reminder of dharma, sacrifice, and duty.

Kashi Bharat Milap Festival 2025

• The Kashi Bharat Milap Mahotsav is celebrated a day after Dussehra with spectacular traditions.
• The grand celebrations take place at Ramnagar Fort and Nati Imli in Varanasi.
• Locally, it is also known as Lakkha Mela because lakhs of devotees gather to witness the sacred event.
• Historical records suggest that the first Bharat Milap in Kashi was organized in 1543 by Medha Bhagat, a devotee of Lord Rama and disciple of Goswami Tulsidas, after Rama appeared in his dream.

The festival is observed with devotion and grandeur in Kashi:

• The King of Kashi leads a royal procession on an elephant across the city.
• The highlight of the event is the arrival of Lord Rama in a symbolic Pushpak Viman, weighing about 5000 kilograms, carried on shoulders by the Yadav community for nearly 4 kilometers.
• After the divine reunion of Rama and Bharat, firecrackers, Deepdaan (lamp offering at Ganga ghats), and community feasts (bhandara) take place across Varanasi.
• Stage enactments of Ram Leela are also performed, depicting the reunion.

Apart from Varanasi, the Bharat Milap fair is also organized annually at Kosi Kalan in Mathura district, with a tradition of more than 150 years. Just like in Kashi, Lord Rama’s Pushpak Viman is carried in a grand procession. Tableaux of Mata Sita, Lakshman Ji, and Lord Hanuman accompany the procession. The emotional scene of Lord Rama meeting Bharat is re-enacted with devotion, leaving devotees deeply moved.

Importance of Kashi Bharat Milap

The festival is more than a cultural event, it represents the values of:

• Brotherhood and Unity (Rama and Bharat’s bond)
• Sacrifice and Duty (Rama fulfilling his father’s word)
• Devotion and Faith (Bharat ruling as Rama’s representative)
• For centuries, Bharat Milap in Varanasi has inspired millions of devotees, strengthening the belief in dharma, love, and righteousness.