Janai Purnima today

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Aug.19: Janai Purnima is being celebrated on Monday, the full moon day, by paying homage to Lord Shiva, changing the janai (sacred thread), tying the yellow-red threads on wrists and eating Kwati, a soup prepared from nine different species of beans.

Janai Purnima is one of the major festivals celebrated by the Hindus.

In a single day, several functions are organised. First, they wear the sacred thread after taking a bath in the early morning. The second function is that sisters offer Rakshya Bandhan, fastening the sacred thread around the right wrist of their brothers as an amulet and eat Kwati. The red-yellow thread is purified through the chanting of mantras by priests as a symbol of protection from disease.

The men from Bramhin, Kshetriya and Vaishya varna (hierarchical group) change the janai on the day after shaving their head and taking bath.

Normally, this sacred thread is worn diagonally from the left shoulder to the right waist, crossing the chest and they chant the Gayatri Mantra.

The people get yellow-red threads tied around their wrists from the Bharamins as a protective gear for the whole year. The festival is considered sacred all over the nation and beyond, and is observed in different manners by different communities.

Janai Purnima is also called Rishi Tarpani because Tagadhari offers tarpan to seven sages including Kashyapa, Atri, Bharadwaja, Gautama, Jamadagni, Vishwamitra and Arundhati.

The festival is popularly known as Gumpunhi in the Newar community.

The Newar community celebrates the day as “Pubhi or Gunla month” meaning “Gumpunhi”. On the day, a statue of Dipankar Buddha and other related statues are put on display in Bahal Vihar in the inner city of the Kathmandu Valley.

Every festival relates with special food. Kwati is a special delicacy added to the Nepali menu on the occasion of Janai Purnima.