Janai Purnima/Rakshya Bandhan/ Kwati khane din/ Gai Jatra/Rishi Tarpan

Janai Purnima

Among many culture and festivals of Nepal, Janai Purnima is one of them. Janai Purnima can also be taken as the festival of sacred thread which means it is the day when male member of the Hindu family mostly brahmin and chhetriya change their janai (sacred thread) which they wear across their chest by a new one after taking a bath on this particular day. Janai Purnima falls annually in the month of Shrawan or Bhadra (August -September) as per Nepali Calendar. As male members change their janai, other member of the family tie thread on the wrist called ''Doro'' which can be of one color or mixed with different colors by the help of their priest along with tika on their forehead. It is believed that wearing doro in this day is auspicious and it can protect us from bad omen. Rishi Tarpan is also a ritual which is perform in the day which means special offering done while taking a bath in any pond or river to rishis and dead family members along with mantra, people offers water, milk and sesame seed in the Tarpan puja.

Janai Purnima is related with a ritual named ''Bartabandha" as it the process the period of time since when son from a Hindu family started to wear janai. ''Bartabandha'' is made from two different words such as barta and bandha where barta means promise/vows and bandha means bond/link. It is believed that when a son complete 8 years then he is ready to learn about the vows and bond of ritual perspectives and the duties that are to be done by him in the near future so since that age parents can performed a special puja for him and that is called ''Bartabandha'' and after bartabandha he starts to wear janai(sacred thread). In simple term bartabandha is somehow similar to baptism though they are not related to each other.

 

Rakshya Bandhan

Rakshya Bandhan which also can be called as Rakhi is another important ritual that is celebrated by Hindu/ Jain in Nepal, India as well as around the globe. It is celebrated in the name of brothers by the sisters for the protection and well being of their brothers. In this particular day, sisters wake up early in the morning, take a bath and tie rakhi on the wrist of their biological, cousin brothers, does arti of brothers and both brothers and sisters put tika on each other's forehead, feed sweets whereas brothers give gifts and money to sisters along with the promise of protecting her in any difficult situation that she might face in her life. Rakshya Bandhan is also a festival which presents the bond between siblings. It is celebrated to symbolize the bond, affection, and protectiveness towards each other at any hardship so it is a festival meant for brothers and sisters.

In Nepal some celebrate rakhi whereas some tie doro from priests so it varies from person to person in the context of Nepal, as in Nepal we generally celebrate Tihar just like Rakhi. So rakhi is yet to be celebrated by every Nepali for now and we not sure about the change they are on the way. Rakshya Bandhan in Nepal is celebrated as janai Purnima where whether priest tie colorful thread-doro at our home or we can be tie it from any priest form nearby temple. Just like rakhi, doro is tied in Nepal as a protection shield.

 

While talking about Rakshya Bandhan from historical perspective, in Mahabharat epic when draupadi happen to saw a cut in lord Krishna's finger she bandaged his wound by tearing a piece of her saree and in return to her favor Krishna promised to protect her when she is in need and she started to treat Krishna as her ''Sakha- a friend. Once she was taken to Hastinapur royal court and dushasan was humiliating her by stripping her clothes to avenge from her five husbands- pandav as dushasan was insulted by pandav, so when draupadi ask help lord Krishna protected her by blessing her with endless saree which dushasan couldn't disrobed.

 

Kwati Khanay Din

Another day which is celebrated on Janai Purnima is called Kwati Khanay Din which means a day of having kwati. In Newari language "kwa" means hot and "ti" means soup in a wholesome kwati Khanay Din is the day of having kwati - curry made by nine different sprout beans. Kwati is the mixture of nine different beans such as black gram, Soybean, chickpea, field bean, garden pea, cow pea, rice pea, field bean and green gram. Curry soup is made in this particular day and have it with family members. It is believed that kwati has beneficial value to prevent us from cold and other minor health issues as it is made with nine varieties of bean it consists of protein.

Gai jatra

Last but not the least coincidentally this year Gai jatra happen to be on the same day of janai Purnima after 9 years. Gai jatra is celebrated in Kathmandu valley by the people of Newar community- one of the ethnic groups of Nepal. Gai refers to cow whereas jastra mean a festival and it is about the celebration done in the name of family members who has died timely or untimely. In gai jatra children wear long clothes with a long belt touching the ground from left and right sides of the waist and visits different house who has lost their loved ones in order to console and cheer them with an attire of cow, draw big moustache. The main motive of gai jatra is to console as well as to cheer up the family members who are in grief and sorrow since their family members who has left the living world.

Gai jatra festival was started in malla regime pratap malla while he was in rule in 1641-1671 A.D started gai jatra. As his wife was in great shock and in grief due to the death of her son, Pratap malla decided to cheer his wife as well as other citizen who has lost their families by the means of Gai jatra festival. After attending the festival queen could feel that she was not only the one who had lost her son and could finally be able to laugh since then Gai jatra is still being followed annually by Newar community. No matter how much we get attached with something or someone, we all have to leave them behind in the days to come as death is inevitable we have to go through it no matter we want it or not. Birth and death are the nature phenomenon that we have to face in anytime. Another event that takes place in this particular day is stand up comedy, in this day many comedians, actors, perform various comedy show and satire to politics, economics and many more.

conclusion

Hence, janai Purnima/ Rakshya Bandhan/ kwati Khanay Din are the overall combination of belief's, vows, promises, protection of brothers and sisters along with the bond between them, day to remember the family members who has already left the world. Every festival is celebrated with a reason whether the festival is celebrated by Hindus or any other ethnic groups. Hope each festival would bring peace and positiveness among people and for the nation. May every Rakshya Bandhan make strong and everlasting bond between siblings and janai Purnima showers happiness in everybody's life. 

                                                                                    photo credit: www.google.com 

                                                                                   photo edit credit: canva