People in Nepal observes Janai Purnima, the festival of threads

Aug 31, 2023

Kathmandu (Nepal), Aug 31 (ANI): Hindu devotees in Nepal observed Janai Purnima, the festival of threads, by performing a traditional bath and tying the sacred threads "Raksha Bandhan" on their wrists and "Janai" on their bodies. In the early morning on Thursday, the Batuks, novice priests, took part in a mass bathe ceremony, chanting hymns and mantras and making offerings to God, Sun, and Goddess. Meanwhile people gather on the embankments of the holy Bagmati River to change and tie threads on their wrists as the nation marks the festival. Religious fairs were also held at Gosainkunda, in Rasuwa District, and at Dansanghu, Triveni, in Jumla District, to observe the festival with offerings to Lord Shiva. On the side of Pashupatinath Temple, the Bhagwat Sanyash Ashram Gurukul, near the Ram Temple, held a mass bathing ceremony and performed rituals in the morning. The occasion is also observed as ‘Kwanti Purnima’ in the Newar community. Kwanti, a soup prepared from nine different beans, is a special delicacy added to the Nepali menu today. In the Tarai region, there is a tradition in which sisters tie an attractive ‘Rakhi’ around the wrist of their brothers, wishing them long life and prosperity. Raksha Bandhan, or Rakhi, is believed to protect the brothers, while the brothers take a vow to protect their sisters.