Kwati or sprout lentils are eaten at family get-togethers and during Janai Purnima, which is celebrated throughout the country. Hindu men renew their Janai on this day, and people flock to Shiva temples across the country. The Shaman culture celebrates this day every year.
Every year on this day, Shamans from all over Nepal gather at places such as Kumbeshwar in Patan, Gosaikunda in Langtang and Charikot in Dolakha to perform their ancient rites. Additionally, these Shamans also visit the sacred sites of their international counterparts during this time.
The holy riverbanks are filled with a large number of Brahmins on this full moon day. Taking ritual baths in the water and offering ablution to their gods is part of their rituals. After that, the sacred threads are changed.
As a special food for the festival, the Newars of the Kathmandu Valley prepare a mixture of beans called Kwati soup. It consists of sprouted beans and serves as a healthy soup.
The Kumbheswar pond in Patan is decorated with a phallic symbol, the Lingam, honoring the divine in a way that receives the dedication of devotees. A second ceremony taking place here is Byan-ja Nakegu in which frogs are offered rice as a sign of thanks for the rain.
Janai Purnima is celebrated in Nepal in the following ways
Janai Purnima marks the beginning of Nepal’s festival season with celebrations ranging from the changing of sacred threads to making nine-bean soup.
A full moon day in the month of Shrawan is observed every year as Janai Purnima. A taghadhari is the keeper of the Janai, or holy thread, and takes a bath in the nearby river or pond every morning to obtain a new one.
This day, devotees also tie a sacred thread around their wrists. They believe that this will protect them from evil and purify their souls. There is an annual fair in Gosaikunda, in Rasuwa district, which attracts Hindus from all over the country. The Nepali people also celebrate Rakshya Bandhan, a festival with a strong focus on brother and sister love and affection.
Last but not least, festivals wouldn’t be complete without special dishes. In Nepal, especially in the Newar community, people prepare a sweet soup of nine beans called Kwati and eat it for lunch on this day. Farmers spent the monsoon summer shin-deep in mud, planting crops in the fields, and the soup, according to Newar elders, provided much-needed warmth.
FAQ for Janai Purnima
Janai Purnima is celebrated for what reason?
Kwati or sprout lentils are eaten at family get-togethers and during Janai Purnima, which is celebrated throughout the country. In many parts of the country, this day is also a harbinger of rejuvenation with Hindu men renewing their Janais, and people flocking to Shiva temples.
What is the Nepali word for Raksha Bandhan?
A sacred thread ceremony is the centerpiece of Raksha Bandhan in Nepal, a festival called Janai Purnima or Rishitarpani. Nepal’s Hindus and Buddhists both celebrate this holiday. Women in Nepal tie rakhi around the wrists of their brothers and Hindu men change the thread they wear around their chests (janai).
Janai Purnima has a meaning, what is it?
A sacred thread is changed on Shrawan Shukla Purnima. Janai, which means thread, is associated with full moon days; Purnima is the day when the full moon is visible. Janai Purnima is therefore the name of the festival. At this time, the Chhetris, Vaishyas, and Brahmins all change their Janais.