Mandatory Credit: Photo by Subash Shrestha/Shutterstock (14645385i)
Novice priests undergo ritualistic bathe at a Ashram in capital Kathmandu on 19 August, 2024 on the day of Janai Purnima. The festival of Janai Purnima is observed annually on Shrawan Shukla Purnima, coincides this year with the Janaipurnima and Rishi Tarpani festivals. Celebrated nationwide, these events feature the wearing of the Janai (sacred thread) and Raakhi (Rakshabandhan). Hundreds of adherents of Vedic Sanatan Dharma thronged the Bagmati embankment taking dips and tied the Rakshasutra (sacred thread) with the guidance of their Guru. Brahmin priests, adhering to the Vedic traditions, perform chants, penance, and worship while tying the Rakshasutra on the right wrist of the devotee. It is a widely held belief that wearing the Janai and Rakshasutra, properly chanted and blessed by the priest, offers protection from negative influences.
From ritualistic bath to tying the sacred thread Nepal observes Janai Purnima - 19 Aug 2024