Janai Purnima
Janai Purnima is being marked with great relish all over the nation on Thursday.Thousands of devotees have thronged religious sites in different parts of the country to celebrate the festival.This day, Brahmins and Chhetris country get sacred threads (janai) anew sanctified by Brahmin priests who chant the Gayatri Mantra. Other communities tie yellow-red threads around their wrists as a symbol of protection.The Newar Community, however, marks the beginning of the nine-day festival Gunhu Punhi this day. The community coats the threshold of their houses with mud and offers food to gods. Then they offer food and bougainvillea (gunakeshari flower) to frogs in the fields on a banana leaf.According to a myth behind the celebration of janai purnima, lord Bishnu, once punishe his boastful devotee, Bali, by tying him with the sacred thread and sent him to hell. Myth says that since then identical sacred threads (janais) are tied around wrists or other parts of the body by Hindu folk to get rid of their sins.Another religious mela takes place at Kumbheshowar (Banglamukhi temple) in Patan, which is also believed to be related to Gosainkunda of Rasuwa. An idol of lord Shiva is placed in the middle of the pond of Kumbeshwor where people are allowed to swim on that particular day.In Kathmandu valley, Pashupatinath, Guheswari, Kumbheswar and Bhadrakali have seen large number of devotees gathering since early morning.Meanwhile, in the Terai community, sisters tie Rakhi (a thread band signifying seeking protection) around their brothers’ wrist. Brothers in turn, give gifts to their sisters as an assurance of protecting them from all impediments in life. Though the festival was popular in terai region earlier, people in hill regions of Kathmandu, Palpa and other places have adopted it.
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