Editorial photo #12627142 Human Interest

From Ritualistic Bathe To Changing The Sacred Thread Worn Across Body And Wrist, Nepal Observes Janai Purnima- Festival Of Threads

A Nepali novice priest recites hymns and chants as they participate in a ritualistic bath at an ashram on the premises of Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, on August 9, 2025, while observing the festival of Janai Purnima, the festival of sacred threads observed in Nepal and India. Janai Purnima, the festival of threads, involves a ritualistic bath and the tying of the sacred thread ''Rakshya Bandhan'' on the wrist and ''Janai'' across the body by Hindu devotees. According to the scriptures, the sacred thread worn across the body of Hindu devotees is believed to have emerged from the Yagya, a sacrificial rite or performance of duty. A person who wears this sacred thread is full of energy, and this thread has two parts, each containing three threads: the first is Bramha, the second is Bishnu, and the third is Lord Shiva. These are symbols of knowledge, meditation, and power. On the other side is nature, which is also considered the female companions of males: Saraswati of Bramha, Laxmi of Bishnu, and Parbati of Shiva. Those who do not wear Janai reach the nearby religious site and receive the 'Raksha Bandhan' thread, which is tied around the wrist as an amulet. The yellow thread is purified through the chanting of mantras by Brahmin priests as a symbol of protection from fear and disease. This sacred thread is made through the combination of 27 different types of threads. In astrology, there are 27 types of constellations, and the name of every human being is believed to be recorded in these constellations. This thread is tied around the wrist following the folklore about King Bali. Bali earns more virtue, which threatens the throne of King Indra. Then, Bramha ties the thread around the wrist, and it is followed since then in remembrance of Lord Bali. (Photo by Subaas Shrestha/NurPhoto)