Janai Purnima
जनै पूर्णिमा
The full moon of Shrawan when Hindu men renew their sacred thread and devotees of all faiths tie the protective Raksha Bandhan thread, centered on the sacred Kumbheshwar lake in Patan.
Location
Kumbheshwar Temple, Patan; Pashupatinath; valley-wide
Duration
1 days
Month (Local)
Shrawan
Month (AD)
July/August
Next celebration
Aug 28, 2026
In 115 days
Highlights
Sacred thread renewal ceremony for Hindu men. Ritual bathing at Kumbheshwar lake (proxy for Gosainkunda). Sadhus gathering at Kumbheshwar temple. Raksha Bandhan thread-tying across the valley. Convergence of Hindu and Newar Buddhist observance during Gunla month.
Tips for Visitors
Kumbheshwar temple in Patan is the focal point — arrive by 7–8 AM to see the bathing rituals at their most intense. The sacred lake is small but the surrounding temple complex is architecturally extraordinary. Pashupatinath ghats are also active. Vendors sell rakhi threads everywhere; buying one is a normal part of the day.
Janai Purnima (also called Shrawan Purnima or Raksha Bandhan) falls on the full moon of Shrawan — one of the most important ritual days in the Nepali Hindu and Newar Buddhist calendar.
For high-caste Hindu men (Brahmin and Chhetri), this is the day of annual janai (sacred thread) renewal. The old thread is replaced with a new one in a purification ceremony, reaffirming the wearer's spiritual and caste obligations. Priests and family members also tie a protective thread — raksha bandhan — around the wrists of devotees, symbolizing protection and blessing.
The festival's most spectacular expression is at Kumbheshwar temple in Patan, where a sacred lake is believed to be connected underground to the holy lake at Gosainkunda. Pilgrims who cannot make the high-altitude journey to Gosainkunda can bathe at Kumbheshwar and receive equivalent merit. The temple complex fills with thousands of devotees bathing, receiving thread blessings, and making offerings. Sadhus (Hindu holy men) gather here in numbers seen at few other valley festivals.
For Newar Buddhists, Janai Purnima falls within the holy month of Gunla, giving the day additional weight. Both traditions converge on the valley's sacred sites simultaneously. The Bal Kumari and other neighborhood shrines also hold special ceremonies.
At Pashupatinath, large bathing rituals take place at the ghats on the Bagmati. Across the country, sisters tie rakhi threads on their brothers' wrists as part of the sibling-bond dimension of the festival.