In Nepal, people of Hindu and Buddhist communities are celebrating the festival Janai Purnima today which is also called as Shrawani Purnima, Kwati Purnima or Rishi Purnima. According to the Nepali Calendar, this festival falls on the full moon day of Shrawan month.
People usually celebrate this festival by bathing in rivers and ponds and wearing sacred cotton thread popularly known as Janai on their bodies and wrist. It is also believed that wearing or changing the Janai during the festival protects one’s soul from evil. They offer water today to seven legendary saints called as Saptrishi.
During the Janai Purnima, the Newar community of Kathmandu Valley celebrates the festival with the preparation of popular feasts known as ‘Kwati’. Kwati is a soup made from nine types of beans.
In the Terai region of Nepal, the Hindu community is celebrating Rakshabandhan today in which sisters tie rakhi thread to their brothers.
Moreover, devotees from Kathmandu Valley and Nepal gather around at holy places such as Kumbeshwar in Patan, Gosaikunda in Langtang and Charikot in Dolakha to perform rituals and worship. Fairs are held in Gosaikunda in Rasuwa and Triveni in Jumla.
Sweta Singh(Kathmandu)