Nepal Celebrates Janai Purnima 2026 as Temples and Holy Water Sites Draw Devotees

Nepal is observing Janai Purnima, one of the country’s important religious and cultural festivals, with devotees gathering at rivers, ponds, lakes and temples for ritual bathing, prayers and the exchange of sacred threads.

The festival falls on the full moon day of the month of Shrawan in the Nepali calendar and is known by several names and traditions across the country. While it is associated with changing the sacred thread among Hindu men of the Tagadhari tradition, communities in different parts of Nepal mark the occasion through their own customs.

Sacred thread and the changing of Janai

The day begins with devotees taking an early-morning bath at rivers, ponds, lakes and other holy water sources before visiting priests and gurus to receive a Rakshasutra, or protective sacred thread.

Priests traditionally chant Vedic mantras while tying the thread around a devotee’s wrist. It is believed to provide spiritual protection and strengthen the bond between the devotee and the religious tradition.

For Tagadhari communities, the festival also marks the annual replacement of the Janai, or Yagyopavit — the sacred thread worn across the body.

The ritual involves purification, offerings and prayers before a new thread, prepared through prescribed Vedic ceremonies, is worn. The practice is particularly associated with Brahmin, Chhetri and Vaishya communities.

Janai Purnima is also known as Rishi Tarpani, reflecting the tradition of honouring and offering tarpan to the sages. Rituals commemorate the eight principal rishis Kashyapa, Atri, Bharadwaja, Vishwamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni, Vashistha and Agastya along with Arundhati.

The sacred thread is also traditionally described as a Brahma Sutra, symbolising knowledge and spiritual responsibility.

Temples and pilgrimage sites see gatherings

Major religious sites and water bodies across Nepal attract devotees during the festival.

In Kathmandu Valley, crowds traditionally gather around the Pashupatinath Temple, Ashok Binayak at Basantapur and areas along the Bagmati River to receive sacred threads and perform religious rituals.

Pilgrims also visit important sacred water sites including Manichud, Gosaikunda, Kumbheshwar, Panch Pokhari, and the ponds and religious sites of Janakpurdham.

Gosaikunda in Rasuwa is among the most prominent destinations associated with Janai Purnima, with pilgrims traditionally undertaking difficult journeys to bathe in the high-altitude lake.

Other important festival gatherings are held at Dhanush Sagar and Ganga Sagar in Dhanusha, Dansadhu in Jumla and Trivenidham in Nawalparasi.

Kwati brings the festival to the dining table

Janai Purnima is also closely associated with Kwati, a traditional soup prepared from a mixture of sprouted beans and legumes.

The dish is commonly prepared by soaking different varieties of pulses and allowing them to sprout before cooking them together. Traditionally, eleven types of legumes are used.

Kwati has both cultural and culinary significance. It is especially associated with the monsoon season, when people traditionally consider warm, nutritious foods beneficial after months of agricultural work and exposure to rain.

Its mixture of legumes also makes it a source of protein and other nutrients, while the sprouting process changes the nutritional composition of the ingredients.

For many Nepali households, eating Kwati has therefore become one of the defining food traditions of Janai Purnima.

Rakhi tradition extends across Nepal

In the Terai, Janai Purnima is widely observed as Raksha Bandhan, with sisters tying rakhi around their brothers’ wrists.

The ritual symbolises affection, family ties and a promise of mutual protection. Although historically more strongly associated with the southern plains, the practice has increasingly become popular in the hill regions as well.

This gives Janai Purnima a distinctly diverse character in Nepal: the same full-moon festival is observed through sacred-thread rituals, pilgrimage, family traditions and food customs that vary according to community and geography.

From high-altitude lakes to Kathmandu’s temples and family homes across the plains, today’s celebrations bring together religious observance and long-standing cultural practices that have evolved differently across Nepal.