Kathmandu, August 28: Janai Purnima, also known as Rishi Tarpani, is being observed across Nepal today with religious rituals, temple visits and traditional celebrations.

The festival, widely celebrated by Hindus, marks an important occasion for Tagadharis—Hindu men who wear the sacred thread, or Janai. On this day, devotees traditionally undergo a haircut and take a ritual bath before replacing their old sacred thread with a new one.

Another major tradition of the festival is Raksha Bandhan, during which people receive a sacred yellow thread from Brahmin priests and tie it around their wrists. The thread is purified through the chanting of religious mantras and is traditionally believed to offer protection from fear, illness and misfortune.

The Newar community observes the occasion as Kwati Purnima. A special feature of the festival is Kwati, a nutritious soup prepared from nine varieties of beans, which is traditionally enjoyed as part of the celebration.

In Nepal’s Tarai region, the festival is also associated with Rakhi. Sisters tie colorful Rakhi threads around their brothers’ wrists and wish them long lives, happiness and prosperity.

Religious activities are taking place at Shiva temples across the country. In the Kathmandu Valley, devotees are visiting Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu and Kumbheshwar Temple in Lalitpur to worship Lord Shiva. Many devotees are also taking holy baths in ponds, lakes and rivers as part of the festival rituals.

Special religious gatherings are being held at Gosainkunda in Rasuwa and Triveni in Jumla. Gosainkunda, an alpine pilgrimage site, has attracted large numbers of devotees who travel from different parts of the country to take a holy dip in the sacred lake and nearby water bodies and offer prayers to Lord Shiva.

The government has declared a public holiday across the country today to mark Janai Purnima.