Janai Purnima is a Hindu festival celebrated each year in the full moon day of the month of Srawan usually (falls in July or August) and holds cultural, religious, and social significance for Hindus. On this day, Janai – the sacred thread received by boys first time in their Bratabandha ritual is changed to a new one. The boys usually at the age of 8-9 receive this sacred thread in Bratabandha ritual, as a symbol of their commitment to spirituality, knowledge and ethical living.
Rakshya Bandhan thread is also tied around the wrist by priests in temples or such threads are brought home from temples and tied by our elders in the wrist of family members as a protection from evil and red tika on our foreheads as blessings from elders. On this day girls tie the sacred thread around the wrist of their brothers wishing them long life and prosperity and reminding them of their protective duties towards their sisters.
This is also a day for family gatherings and bonding when a special delicacy called Kwati – a nutritious soup of nine different types of sprouted beans is made along with other food varieties. On this day many Hindu devotees take holy dip in ponds, lakes and rivers and throng religious sites in different parts of the country.
