Jana Purnima is also called Rakshya Bandhan. The word Janai means sacred thread and Purnima means full moon day. This festival is also observe as the festival of purity and security. This festival is celebrate by Hindus all over the world. Janai Purnima is sacred thread festival. Janai Purnima is observe in Shrawan according to the Nepali Bikram Sambat Calendar. In this day, Shamans gather to perform ancient rites in places like Gosainkunda, patan and Charikot. These places are the sacred sites in Janai Purnima occasion.
Date of festival
Janai Purnima varies year by year. It falls in August 15, 2019 (Thursday) according to the Georgian calendar English. In Nepal, Janai Purnima falls in 30th Shrawan 2076 according to Bikram Sambat Calendar.
What is Janai?
Janai is a cotton thread. It is wear across the Chest by Hindu male. Generally, Janai is worn by Brahmins and Chetris. This thread is given to males after processing impressive religious ceremony called Bratabandhan. Bratabandhan is formal process of accepting someone in the religion. A man wearing Janai means a boy initiated to manhood. The Janai should be always across their chest after Bratabandhan. Janai is regard as the symbol of body and way of truth. This thread must be change on Rakshya Bandhan Day.
What do we do in Janai Purnima?
A man wearing Janai should make themselves clean by shaving, bathing, and cutting hair. A day before Janai Purnima, they undergo a partial fasting taking one meal with no meats, onions and garlic’s. In Janai Purnima, men go to rivers/ponds early in morning. They take bath dipping them thrice in the water. They change Janai and break the old one.
In cities, people visit temple in the morning. The people gather around Pandit. Pandit recites the stories and mantras from holy book. He purifies the new threads and places them to men neck across the chest. The priest is given food and money in term of payment. The money is called Dakshina and Daan in Sanskrit.
Rakshya Bandhan
This festival is a bond or tie of protection. Rakshya means “to protect” and Bandhan means “bond/tie”. A thread is ties around the wrist called Doro. Doro is say as Janai by some people. Males tie their Doro in right hand and females ties around in left wrist of hand. Doro is on colorful color. It is of yellow, red and orange. Doro is believe as a good luck. People tie there Doro in wrist till Laxmi Puja (Tihar). The thread is tie on cow’s tail in the cow worship day of Tihar. It is tie in belief of that after death Cow helps to cross a river Baitarni to reach heaven.
In Rakshya Bandhan people get around the Pandit and bind with the quick prayer and blessings. They pay some food and money in term of payment.
Rakhi Day
Janai Purnima is aadvocate as Rakhi Day. Rakhi is a holy thread bind by sister in wrist of their brother. The festival is similar like Vai tika. Brother gives a gift to his sister in return of Rakhi. Rakhi denotes the long life provide protection by girl/women. Rakhi is wear along with sweets and gifts. It is tradition follow in India most but it is practice in Nepal. Market can be see full of colourful and beautiful Rakhis.
Kwati Purnima (Gunhi Punhi)
Gunhi Punhi is Janai Purnima is Newari language which means kwati. Kwati is combination of nine beans like maize, grain, bean, pea, mass, etc. Kwati is soup of those different beans. It is tell that eating the soup of kwati in this day decreases cold of body. People welcome their relatives and guests in this day. They enjoy and share joy and sorrow. They cook different varieties of food items and have it along with Kwati.
In Janai Purnima, Newar offers food to the frog believing that it is God. They pray and thank for the rainfall and production of such grains in their field.