Shrawani bath at Gokarneshwor Uttarbahini (photos)

KATHMANDU: The festival of Raksha Bandhan and Janai Purnima, also known as Rishi Tarpani, is being celebrated across the country today.

Observed every year on the full moon day of the month of Shrawan, this day is marked by the wearing of new sacred threads (Yagyopavit) and Rakshya Bandhan.

On this auspicious day, followers of the Vedic Sanatan Dharma begin their rituals early in the morning. They bathe in rivers, lakes, and ponds, and then receive the sacred Rakshya Sutra (protective thread) from their spiritual gurus or priests.

According to religious beliefs, wearing the Yagyopavit and Raksha Sutra, which have been sanctified by mantras, provides protection from negative forces. The scriptures mention that members of the three Varnas—Brahmins, Kshatriyas, and Vaishyas—who wear the sacred thread (Janai) are required to replace it on this day.

The ritual preparation for Janai Purnima begins on Shrawan Shukla Chaturdashi. On this day, those who wear the sacred thread, known as Tagadhari, shave their heads, eat only one meal, and observe cleanliness and purity. They continue their fast until the full moon day, when they perform a ritual bath, known as Shravani Snan, in ponds, lakes, rivers, or wells using cow dung, ash, herbs, and a mixture of seven types of clay.

After this ritual bath, they offer Tarpan (a ritual of offering water) to the sages using barley, sesame seeds, and Kusha grass. The Yagyopavit is then replaced with a new one that has been sanctified through Vedic Rudrabhishek (a ritual of worship involving the chanting of sacred hymns). The day is also called Rishi Tarpani because it involves the worship and offering of Tarpan to eight sages: Kashyapa, Atri, Bharadwaja, Vishvamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni, Vashishta, and Agastya, along with Arundhati.

According to the Vedic guru tradition, the Yagyopavit, or Janai, is also referred to as the Brahmasutra, symbolizing the thread of knowledge.

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