Janai Purnima marked nationwide

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Aug. 20: The Hindus across the nation celebrated Janai Purnima (Rakshyabandhan) with great joy and relish on Monday. 

Janai Purnima (Rishi Tarpani) or Rakshabandhan, celebrated every year on the full moon day of Saun Shukla fortnight, was marked across the country on Monday. 

Today, the followers of the Vedic Sanatan religion visited the nearby rivers, lakes and ponds to bathe and tie a rakshasutra (red-yellow thread) from the priests. Those who wear holy thread (Janai) got it changed. 

As per the Vedic tradition, people tied rakshasutra (thread)  on the right hand. Pundits tied them by chanting the mantras. 

The red and yellow thread is purified through the chanting of mantras by priests as a badge of protection from disease. 

The festival is called Jaina Purnima as it is associated with the Janai, the sacred thread that the Brahmin, Kshetri and Vaishya men wear. They change the threads on this day after bathing. 

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 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 the Tagadharis  (Janai wearers) offer tarpan to seven sages including Kashyapa, Atri, Bharadwaja, Gautama, Jamadagni, Vishwamitra and Arundhati.

Devotees thronged the Pashupatinath Temple premises, Basantapur, banks of the Bagmati River and other temples from early in the morning to change janai and tie the red and yellow thread. 

According to our Tahahun correspondent Amarraj Naharki, the Dalit community of Tanahun performed a collective Rakshabandhan from their priests.

Vedic Sanatan Karmakanda Vyas Dalit Purohit Samaj organised the programme in Damauli. Dalit leaders have said that a collective Rakshabandhan and Janai changing programme has been organised by their priests to end caste discrimination in the society. 

On the occasion of Janai Purnima on Monday, a collective Rakshabandhan was organised with Rudri recitation and Rishi Tarpani recitation as per Vedic rituals, said Pandit Tilak Bishwakarma, President of the Samaj.  

Among the priests of the Dalit community, Purna Bishwakarma Ghimire, Bishwa Budha Pariyar, Kaji Pariyar, Madhav Bahadur Bishwakarma and Surya Bahadur Pariyar worked for Rakshabandan and janai changing. 

The Samaj organised an open Rakshabandhan programme at Ansan Chautari of Byas Municipality-3.