The festival Janaipurnima is celebrated in the month of August by Hindu devotees all over the world. People of Madesh community celebrate this festival as ‘Rakshya Bandhan’ or ‘Rakhi’. Janaipurnima is the festival of Sacred Threads. The sacred thread goes around the right wrist by men and left wrist by women according to Hindu Mythology. In some Hindu community, sisters tie this delightful thread around the wrist of their brothers and expect brothers will save them when needed their help. Brothers offer gift and sweets to their sisters in return. This festival also regards as the symbol of love between brothers and sisters.
‘Janai’ is a cotton thread that goes across the chest and over the right shoulder by Hindu men. This thread is only given to men during ‘Bratabandha’, a long and impressive religious ceremony. People consider that the boy has now entered into manhood and needs to follow the religion and the path of truth. One should change the Janai if it becomes impure due to those acts which the religion doesn’t allow. However, they should replace it without fail on every Rakhsya Bandhan Day. Janai is one of the important elements necessary during every deeds of religious activities.
During Janaipurnima, people in Kathmandu Valley take a special soup made from nine different sprouted bean seeds. July-August are the changing season as cold days approaching soon. People think that Kwati soup helps to cure against common cold and coughing. The common ingredients of Kwati are black gram, green gram, chickpea, field bean, soybean, field pea, garden pea, cow-pea and rice bean.
There are celebrations at different temples and the tour of temples could be a great idea to relish this great festival.
