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Janai Purnima is one of the most important Hindu festival celebrated, especially in Nepal and India. This year 2081, Janai Purnima falls on holy Shrawn month of Nepali calender.
What is Janai Purnima?
In simple word, Janai is a sacred cotton thread and Purnima means full moon day. To put together, it is a one day festival of putting thread by the Hindu religion people on the full moon day of Shrawn month.
About the sacred thread- Janai
As mentioned before, Janai is a cotton thread worn by Brahmins from the left shoulder to right waist whereas, other Hindus have it tied around their wrists. For many, the thread might look like a random piece of yarn, but they have greater spiritual and moral responsibilities which signifies the transformation from boyhood to manhood. Moreover, the Janai worn by Brahmins has specifically 6 threads in which 3 represent Gods Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwor, and the rest symbolize knowledge, worship and karma.
The Story of Lord Indra for Janai Purnima Celebration
Though there are many myths behind the celebration of Janai Purnima, one that stands out is the battle between God and Demon. According to the story, Lord Indra’s wife, Sachi tied a sacred thread given by Lord Vishnu around Indra’s wrist. As a result, the thread’s protective power helped the god to defeat the king of demon, Bali.
What do people do on Janai Purnima?
A day before Janai Purnima, one needs to do various purification rituals such as hair cutting, shaving, and bathing to for physical and spiritual cleanliness. Participants also limit the food by eating only ‘Satvic’ foods has no meat, onions, or garlic. On the morning of Janai Purnima, men traditionally go to nearby rivers or ponds, immersing themselves three times to cleanse their spirits. After that, the old Janai are replaced with new one.
Rakshya Bandhan
Coincidently, on the same day of Janai Purnima, a festival called Rakshya Bandhan is celebrated. In this festival, sister ties colorful thread ‘Doro’ on her brother’s wrist that symbolize protective bond and unconditional love. No mater what the religion, caste, status or gender, everyone participates in this sacred ritual. Men typically wear the Doro on their right wrist, while women tie it on their left. Most of the people put this thread on the wrist until Laxmi Puja during Tihar and then ties to a cow’s tail. It is done with a belief that after death they can hang on the cow’s tail and cow will assist the deceased in crossing the river Baitarni to reach heaven.
Kwati : A Culinary Delight
The festival, also called Kwati Purnima, is named after ‘Kwati,’ a nutritious soup made from nine different soaked and sprouted beans such as mung beans (mung), soya beans (bhatmas), red kidney beans (rajma), black grams (mas), black-eyed peas (bodi), fava beans (bakulla), chickpeas/whole grams (chana), field peas (kerau) and white beans (seto simi). Kwati was traditionally consumed by farmers to rejuvenate and and feed their tired body at field with high nutrition during rice plantation. Similarly, it is also said that Kwati helps to get rid of various health issues including digestion.
Ideal Places to Experience Janai Purnima
Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu
One of Nepal’s most sacred Hindu temples, Pashupatinath, is a hub of activity during Janai Purnima. Many devotees even from different part of India come to Pashupatinath to change their thread.
Gosainkunda, Langtang Region
For a more adventurous celebration, Gosainkunda offers a unique experience. This high-altitude lake, considered holy, attracts thousands of pilgrims during Janai Purnima.
Conclusion
Janai Purnima is a good time to understand Nepali culture and tradition. So, you can plan your Nepal visit on August since, this year Janai Purnima falls on 19th August, 2024, Monday. Also, you can take the chance to celebrate the most lively festival, Gai Jatra which is just the next day.