Written by: Adhyaya Bhandari - 27031, Grade IX
Posted on: 04 July, 2023
Janai Purnima is a festival celebrated by Hindus. This festival mostly lies in the month of Shrawan but sometimes it lies in the month of Bhadra as per the Hindu calendar. This festival is also known as Rakshya Bandhan mostly in India and Kwati Purnima in Nepal. This day is special for males of the Brahmin and Chhetri families. They go to the river side to bathe and purify themselves. It is also believed that this purifies our soul. When changing the Janai we need to look at the sun and in complete silence that too. If not, it is believed that bad things will happen. After that they go to the temple and worship the new Janai which they will wear until the next festival. The people who cannot go in the river or the temple , they bathe and change their janai at the comfort of their homes. After changing the Janai the respective person has to repeat the mantra he was taught during his Bratabandha for 108 times. People also donate rice to the Brahmans. It is believed that men who wear Janai, can control their conscience and body. After the religious practices are complete, they also go to their relatives' homes and make merry. The festival is special for Lord Vishnu because it is believed that whoever has done their brata bandha the person is also considered as the Avatar of Vishnu. In the olden days, it was said that Janai helped us be safe, as the mantras cast on to by our gurus kept us safe from any external harm. Janai is also called Bramhasutra or the rope of knowledge. If we fail to change janai it is considered to be a bad omen. After coming home we eat Kwati made up of 9 different types of beans and it is said that our body will not come in contact with cold after bathing in the river and being in thin clothing throughout the ritual. If the Janai breaks then we need to change it as soon as possible and like in the changing process without donning it we can’t speak. Although accidents happen and the janai does break is not bad, however, the janai we worship and change on this auspicious day is said to have much more power within it compared to a janai we change on any other day.
