"Janai threads"

#12894296

22 October 2025

Nepali Hindus perform rituals of Gai Puja (cow worship), Goru Puja (ox worship), and Govardhan Puja, marking the five-day Tihar festival in Lalitpur, Nepal, on October 22, 2025. On this day, rituals for Gai Puja and Govardhan Puja involve creating replicas of the cow and Govardhan Mountain using cow dung. Devotees prepare a mixture of cow dung and ochre, forming a paste to apply on their courtyards and floors. Hindus revere the cow as a mother, considering it sacred. Modern science supports the belief that indigenous breeds of cows absorb energy from the sun and moon through their humps, which is then transmitted through milk to humans. As part of Gai Puja rituals, cows are fed sweets and delicacies. It is customary to tie the sacred thread, worn on Janai Purnima, around the cow's tail during the ceremony. This act is believed to assist the soul in crossing the mythical Baitarani River to reach heaven after death.

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#12894297

22 October 2025

Nepali Hindus perform rituals of Gai Puja (cow worship), Goru Puja (ox worship), and Govardhan Puja, marking the five-day Tihar festival in Lalitpur, Nepal, on October 22, 2025. On this day, rituals for Gai Puja and Govardhan Puja involve creating replicas of the cow and Govardhan Mountain using cow dung. Devotees prepare a mixture of cow dung and ochre, forming a paste to apply on their courtyards and floors. Hindus revere the cow as a mother, considering it sacred. Modern science supports the belief that indigenous breeds of cows absorb energy from the sun and moon through their humps, which is then transmitted through milk to humans. As part of Gai Puja rituals, cows are fed sweets and delicacies. It is customary to tie the sacred thread, worn on Janai Purnima, around the cow's tail during the ceremony. This act is believed to assist the soul in crossing the mythical Baitarani River to reach heaven after death.

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#12894299

22 October 2025

Nepali Hindus perform rituals of Gai Puja (cow worship), Goru Puja (ox worship), and Govardhan Puja, marking the five-day Tihar festival in Lalitpur, Nepal, on October 22, 2025. On this day, rituals for Gai Puja and Govardhan Puja involve creating replicas of the cow and Govardhan Mountain using cow dung. Devotees prepare a mixture of cow dung and ochre, forming a paste to apply on their courtyards and floors. Hindus revere the cow as a mother, considering it sacred. Modern science supports the belief that indigenous breeds of cows absorb energy from the sun and moon through their humps, which is then transmitted through milk to humans. As part of Gai Puja rituals, cows are fed sweets and delicacies. It is customary to tie the sacred thread, worn on Janai Purnima, around the cow's tail during the ceremony. This act is believed to assist the soul in crossing the mythical Baitarani River to reach heaven after death.

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#12894300

22 October 2025

Nepali Hindus perform rituals of Gai Puja (cow worship), Goru Puja (ox worship), and Govardhan Puja, marking the five-day Tihar festival in Lalitpur, Nepal, on October 22, 2025. On this day, rituals for Gai Puja and Govardhan Puja involve creating replicas of the cow and Govardhan Mountain using cow dung. Devotees prepare a mixture of cow dung and ochre, forming a paste to apply on their courtyards and floors. Hindus revere the cow as a mother, considering it sacred. Modern science supports the belief that indigenous breeds of cows absorb energy from the sun and moon through their humps, which is then transmitted through milk to humans. As part of Gai Puja rituals, cows are fed sweets and delicacies. It is customary to tie the sacred thread, worn on Janai Purnima, around the cow's tail during the ceremony. This act is believed to assist the soul in crossing the mythical Baitarani River to reach heaven after death.

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#12894301

22 October 2025

Nepali Hindus perform rituals of Gai Puja (cow worship), Goru Puja (ox worship), and Govardhan Puja, marking the five-day Tihar festival in Lalitpur, Nepal, on October 22, 2025. On this day, rituals for Gai Puja and Govardhan Puja involve creating replicas of the cow and Govardhan Mountain using cow dung. Devotees prepare a mixture of cow dung and ochre, forming a paste to apply on their courtyards and floors. Hindus revere the cow as a mother, considering it sacred. Modern science supports the belief that indigenous breeds of cows absorb energy from the sun and moon through their humps, which is then transmitted through milk to humans. As part of Gai Puja rituals, cows are fed sweets and delicacies. It is customary to tie the sacred thread, worn on Janai Purnima, around the cow's tail during the ceremony. This act is believed to assist the soul in crossing the mythical Baitarani River to reach heaven after death.

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#12894302

22 October 2025

Nepali Hindus perform rituals of Gai Puja (cow worship), Goru Puja (ox worship), and Govardhan Puja, marking the five-day Tihar festival in Lalitpur, Nepal, on October 22, 2025. On this day, rituals for Gai Puja and Govardhan Puja involve creating replicas of the cow and Govardhan Mountain using cow dung. Devotees prepare a mixture of cow dung and ochre, forming a paste to apply on their courtyards and floors. Hindus revere the cow as a mother, considering it sacred. Modern science supports the belief that indigenous breeds of cows absorb energy from the sun and moon through their humps, which is then transmitted through milk to humans. As part of Gai Puja rituals, cows are fed sweets and delicacies. It is customary to tie the sacred thread, worn on Janai Purnima, around the cow's tail during the ceremony. This act is believed to assist the soul in crossing the mythical Baitarani River to reach heaven after death.

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#12894303

22 October 2025

Nepali Hindus perform rituals of Gai Puja (cow worship), Goru Puja (ox worship), and Govardhan Puja, marking the five-day Tihar festival in Lalitpur, Nepal, on October 22, 2025. On this day, rituals for Gai Puja and Govardhan Puja involve creating replicas of the cow and Govardhan Mountain using cow dung. Devotees prepare a mixture of cow dung and ochre, forming a paste to apply on their courtyards and floors. Hindus revere the cow as a mother, considering it sacred. Modern science supports the belief that indigenous breeds of cows absorb energy from the sun and moon through their humps, which is then transmitted through milk to humans. As part of Gai Puja rituals, cows are fed sweets and delicacies. It is customary to tie the sacred thread, worn on Janai Purnima, around the cow's tail during the ceremony. This act is believed to assist the soul in crossing the mythical Baitarani River to reach heaven after death.

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#12894304

22 October 2025

Nepali Hindus perform rituals of Gai Puja (cow worship), Goru Puja (ox worship), and Govardhan Puja, marking the five-day Tihar festival in Lalitpur, Nepal, on October 22, 2025. On this day, rituals for Gai Puja and Govardhan Puja involve creating replicas of the cow and Govardhan Mountain using cow dung. Devotees prepare a mixture of cow dung and ochre, forming a paste to apply on their courtyards and floors. Hindus revere the cow as a mother, considering it sacred. Modern science supports the belief that indigenous breeds of cows absorb energy from the sun and moon through their humps, which is then transmitted through milk to humans. As part of Gai Puja rituals, cows are fed sweets and delicacies. It is customary to tie the sacred thread, worn on Janai Purnima, around the cow's tail during the ceremony. This act is believed to assist the soul in crossing the mythical Baitarani River to reach heaven after death.

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#12894306

22 October 2025

Nepali Hindus perform rituals of Gai Puja (cow worship), Goru Puja (ox worship), and Govardhan Puja, marking the five-day Tihar festival in Lalitpur, Nepal, on October 22, 2025. On this day, rituals for Gai Puja and Govardhan Puja involve creating replicas of the cow and Govardhan Mountain using cow dung. Devotees prepare a mixture of cow dung and ochre, forming a paste to apply on their courtyards and floors. Hindus revere the cow as a mother, considering it sacred. Modern science supports the belief that indigenous breeds of cows absorb energy from the sun and moon through their humps, which is then transmitted through milk to humans. As part of Gai Puja rituals, cows are fed sweets and delicacies. It is customary to tie the sacred thread, worn on Janai Purnima, around the cow's tail during the ceremony. This act is believed to assist the soul in crossing the mythical Baitarani River to reach heaven after death.

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#12894307

22 October 2025

Nepali Hindus perform rituals of Gai Puja (cow worship), Goru Puja (ox worship), and Govardhan Puja, marking the five-day Tihar festival in Lalitpur, Nepal, on October 22, 2025. On this day, rituals for Gai Puja and Govardhan Puja involve creating replicas of the cow and Govardhan Mountain using cow dung. Devotees prepare a mixture of cow dung and ochre, forming a paste to apply on their courtyards and floors. Hindus revere the cow as a mother, considering it sacred. Modern science supports the belief that indigenous breeds of cows absorb energy from the sun and moon through their humps, which is then transmitted through milk to humans. As part of Gai Puja rituals, cows are fed sweets and delicacies. It is customary to tie the sacred thread, worn on Janai Purnima, around the cow's tail during the ceremony. This act is believed to assist the soul in crossing the mythical Baitarani River to reach heaven after death.

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#12894308

22 October 2025

Nepali Hindus perform rituals of Gai Puja (cow worship), Goru Puja (ox worship), and Govardhan Puja, marking the five-day Tihar festival in Lalitpur, Nepal, on October 22, 2025. On this day, rituals for Gai Puja and Govardhan Puja involve creating replicas of the cow and Govardhan Mountain using cow dung. Devotees prepare a mixture of cow dung and ochre, forming a paste to apply on their courtyards and floors. Hindus revere the cow as a mother, considering it sacred. Modern science supports the belief that indigenous breeds of cows absorb energy from the sun and moon through their humps, which is then transmitted through milk to humans. As part of Gai Puja rituals, cows are fed sweets and delicacies. It is customary to tie the sacred thread, worn on Janai Purnima, around the cow's tail during the ceremony. This act is believed to assist the soul in crossing the mythical Baitarani River to reach heaven after death.

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#12894309

22 October 2025

Nepali Hindus perform rituals of Gai Puja (cow worship), Goru Puja (ox worship), and Govardhan Puja, marking the five-day Tihar festival in Lalitpur, Nepal, on October 22, 2025. On this day, rituals for Gai Puja and Govardhan Puja involve creating replicas of the cow and Govardhan Mountain using cow dung. Devotees prepare a mixture of cow dung and ochre, forming a paste to apply on their courtyards and floors. Hindus revere the cow as a mother, considering it sacred. Modern science supports the belief that indigenous breeds of cows absorb energy from the sun and moon through their humps, which is then transmitted through milk to humans. As part of Gai Puja rituals, cows are fed sweets and delicacies. It is customary to tie the sacred thread, worn on Janai Purnima, around the cow's tail during the ceremony. This act is believed to assist the soul in crossing the mythical Baitarani River to reach heaven after death.

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#12894310

22 October 2025

Nepali Hindus perform rituals of Gai Puja (cow worship), Goru Puja (ox worship), and Govardhan Puja, marking the five-day Tihar festival in Lalitpur, Nepal, on October 22, 2025. On this day, rituals for Gai Puja and Govardhan Puja involve creating replicas of the cow and Govardhan Mountain using cow dung. Devotees prepare a mixture of cow dung and ochre, forming a paste to apply on their courtyards and floors. Hindus revere the cow as a mother, considering it sacred. Modern science supports the belief that indigenous breeds of cows absorb energy from the sun and moon through their humps, which is then transmitted through milk to humans. As part of Gai Puja rituals, cows are fed sweets and delicacies. It is customary to tie the sacred thread, worn on Janai Purnima, around the cow's tail during the ceremony. This act is believed to assist the soul in crossing the mythical Baitarani River to reach heaven after death.

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#12894311

22 October 2025

Nepali Hindus perform rituals of Gai Puja (cow worship), Goru Puja (ox worship), and Govardhan Puja, marking the five-day Tihar festival in Lalitpur, Nepal, on October 22, 2025. On this day, rituals for Gai Puja and Govardhan Puja involve creating replicas of the cow and Govardhan Mountain using cow dung. Devotees prepare a mixture of cow dung and ochre, forming a paste to apply on their courtyards and floors. Hindus revere the cow as a mother, considering it sacred. Modern science supports the belief that indigenous breeds of cows absorb energy from the sun and moon through their humps, which is then transmitted through milk to humans. As part of Gai Puja rituals, cows are fed sweets and delicacies. It is customary to tie the sacred thread, worn on Janai Purnima, around the cow's tail during the ceremony. This act is believed to assist the soul in crossing the mythical Baitarani River to reach heaven after death.

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#12894312

22 October 2025

Nepali Hindus perform rituals of Gai Puja (cow worship), Goru Puja (ox worship), and Govardhan Puja, marking the five-day Tihar festival in Lalitpur, Nepal, on October 22, 2025. On this day, rituals for Gai Puja and Govardhan Puja involve creating replicas of the cow and Govardhan Mountain using cow dung. Devotees prepare a mixture of cow dung and ochre, forming a paste to apply on their courtyards and floors. Hindus revere the cow as a mother, considering it sacred. Modern science supports the belief that indigenous breeds of cows absorb energy from the sun and moon through their humps, which is then transmitted through milk to humans. As part of Gai Puja rituals, cows are fed sweets and delicacies. It is customary to tie the sacred thread, worn on Janai Purnima, around the cow's tail during the ceremony. This act is believed to assist the soul in crossing the mythical Baitarani River to reach heaven after death.

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#12627351

9 August 2025

A local priest ties a Doro, or a sacred colorful thread, around the wrist of a devotee during the Janai Purnima festival or Rakchhya Bandhan in Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal, on August 9, 2025. During Janai Purnima or Rakchhya Bandhan, people from the Brahmin and Chhetri communities change their Janai, a sacred thread. Similarly, people from other communities have a Doro, a sacred colorful thread, tied around their wrists. It is believed that this thread protects people from diseases and misfortune. People from Terai and India also celebrate this festival as Rakchhya Bandhan. Sisters tie attractive Rakhis on their brothers' wrists, wishing them a healthy and long life.

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