Mandatory Credit: Photo by Subash Shrestha/Shutterstock (14645385f)
A priest ties "Rakshyabandhan" a sacred thread on the wrist of a devotee on the day of Janai Purnima on the embankments of Bagmati River in Kathmandu on 19 August, 2024. 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