The day of Janaipurnima came and we are enjoying
the day a lot.The day has its special charm in our lives.Janai means the sacred
thread. Every year on the Janai Purnima day, Brahmins take a holy bath and
offer ablution to the gods before changing their janai. Other Hindus receive
the ‘Rakshya Bandhan’ thread, which is tied around their wrists by Brahmin
priests, as a protection from evil. It is believed that if this thread is taken
off on Laxmi Puja day which falls three months later, and tied to the tail of a
cow, it would ensure a smooth journey to heaven after one’s death.
The
food specialty of this festival is kwati, a soup of different beans.
This day is also called Kwati Punhi, where kwati is the soup, and punhi
means the full moon day. On this day, Newar farmers also offer food items to
frogs, believing that frogs, the agents of the god of rainfall, would help in
prospering their crop production. There also lies a belief that, since this
festival is observed to mark the season of plantation, drinking the soup of
kwati heals any body-aches people get from strenuous crop plantation. Kwati is
cooked in every household on this day and enjoyed with Nepal's staple food,
daal bhaat.
The same festival is celebrated as Rakhi in Terai
Regions of Nepal. Sisters tie colorful threads on their brother’s wrists. They
exchange gifts and brothers vow to protect their sisters lifelong on this
revered festival. The Indian communities living in Nepal also celebrate
Rakhi.Pashupatinath in Kathmandu, Kumeshowr in Patan, Gosain Kunda in Rasuwa,
Dudh Kunda in Solukhumbu, Ganga Dhanusagar in Janakpur, Dansadhuma in Jumla,
and Vageshowr in Dadeldhura among others, are the major destinations where
Janai Purnima or Rakshya Bandhan is celebrated hugely.
