Janai Purnima festival (Photo Feature)

Janai Purnima' which is also called 'Rishi Tarpani' festival is being celebrated across the country today. The festival is basically observed by the majority Hindus in the country.

On the occasion of Janai Purnima, the tagadharis or those who wear the 'Janai' (the sacred thread) around their bodies from the left shoulder to right change the sacred thread today after having a haircut and a bath.

According to the tradition, Hindu people 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, said Dev Mani Bhattarai, a theologian and member of the Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Samiti (Calendar Determination Committee). The occasion is also observed as 'Kwati Purnima' by the Newar community.

Kwati, a soup prepared from nine different beans, is a special delicacy added to the Nepali menu today.

In the Terai region, there is a tradition in which sisters tie an attractive 'Rakhi' around the wrist of their brothers wishing them long life and prosperity.

Today, thousands of devotees worship lord Shiva at Pashupatinath in Kathmandu and at Kumbheshwar in Lalitpur and other Shiva temples across the country, and take holy dips in ponds and lakes and rivers.