KATHMANDU, AUGUST 9

The festival of Janai Purnima, also known as Rishi Tarpani, is being celebrated across the country on this full moon day, Saturday.

Primarily observed by the Hindu majority in Nepal, the festival holds deep religious and cultural significance.

On this occasion, Tagadharis-Hindus who wear the Janai (sacred thread) diagonally across the torso from the left shoulder to the right-ritually replace their sacred thread after a ceremonial bath.

Traditionally, devotees also receive the Raksha Bandhan thread, tied around the wrist as an amulet for protection. This yellow thread is sanctified through the chanting of mantras by Brahmin priests, symbolizing protection from fear and disease, explained Prof. Dr. Ram Chandra Gautam, former chairperson of the Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Samiti (Calendar Determination Committee).

For the Newar community, the day is also celebrated as Kwati Purnima. A highlight of the celebration is Kwati, a hearty soup prepared from nine varieties of beans, which is enjoyed as a seasonal delicacy.

In the Terai region, a parallel tradition sees sisters tying a Rakhi around their brothers' wrists, wishing them long life and prosperity.

Thousands of devotees mark the day by worshipping Lord Shiva at Pashupatinath in Kathmandu, Kumbheshwar in Lalitpur, and other Shiva temples nationwide, as well as taking holy dips in ponds, lakes, and rivers.

Religious fairs are held at prominent pilgrimage sites such as Gosainkunda in Rasuwa and Dansanghu Triveni in Jumla, where offerings to Lord Shiva begin at dawn. Pilgrims travel long distances to bathe in the sacred alpine lakes of Gosainkunda and its surrounding waters.

Major religious gatherings also take place at Pashupati and Manichud in Kathmandu; Kumbheshwar in Lalitpur; Panchpokhari in Sindhupalchok; Janakpurdham, Dhanush Sagar, and Ganga Sagar in Dhanusha; as well as at Trivenidham and Dansanghu in Jumla.

(With inputs from Rastriya Samachar Samiti)