Janai Purnima is observed in the month of Shrawan.
It is called Rakshya Bandhan as this festival observes the bond of purity
and security. This festival is celebrated by Hindus all over the
world.
Janai Purnima is Sacred Thread Festival. On this day,
Hindu men, especially the Brahmins and Chettris perform their annual change of
Janai and all who celebrates this festival put a scared thread around their
wrist.
Janai is a cotton string worn across the chest by Hindu
male. This thread is only given to males during a long and impressive
religious ceremony called Bratabandhan. Almost all the religion has type of
Bratabandhan, but known by different names. Bratabandhan is basically a formal
process of accepting someone in the religion.
The Janai initiates the boy into manhood and commands
them to devotedly follow the religion and the path of truth. The Janai must be
worn every day of their lives after they listen their mantra from the guru
during the Bartabandha.
Janai is regarded as symbol of body, speech and mind,
and when the knots are tied the person wearing it is supposed to gain complete
control over each of them.
This cord is changed if it becomes untidy or dishonored
due to those acts which are forbidden by religion. However, Janai
must be changed without fail on Rakhsya Bandhan Day
Meaning of Janai Purnima
Janai is sacred thread, and Purnima is full moon day, thus
it is Janai festival in the full moon day of Shrawan month of Bikram
Sambat calendar
A day before Janai purnima the persons wearing janai
should make themselves 'clean' by shaving or cutting hair and take a good bath.
They undergo a partial fasting, taking only one meal of foods considered to be
'clean' - no meat, no onions or garlic. Before big event Hindus prefer to clean
their body by keeping fasting. Satvic food is prescribed for all Hindu ritual
and festival.
In the Purnima morning men usually go to rivers and
ponds nearby, to take secret bath dipping himself thrice in the water. Men,
then change their Janai. Break the old ones.
However in cities, the family priest (Pandit / Puret)
comes to the residence. The entire family gathers around pandit as he reads the
importance and stories of the from a holy book (patro) and performs a ceremony,
which purifies the new thread, and places it about the men’s neck across the
chest. In a payment the priest is given foodstuffs and monies. The money is
called Dakshina and other stuff are called Daan in Sanskrit.
What is Rakshya Bandhan Doro?
Rakshya means "to protect" and bandhan is "tie" or "bond". Rakshya Bandhan is a bond or tie of protection. This thread is which is tied around the hand is called Doro. Some people even say Janai for Doro.
In Raksha Bandhan day male, female, children and kids
regardless of status and caste get tied a doro (sacred colorful thread) around
their wrist. Generally males get tied the thread around their right and
the women around their left wrist.
They believe doro brings them good luck, when one
believes, that always becomes true. People keep the doro tied in wrist till
on Laxmi Puja day in Deepawali. This thread is
then taken out from wrist and tied on the tail of a cow in the cow worship day
(Laxmi puja) in about October.
Hindu believe that they have to cross a river Baitarni after death to reach heaven. The cow will help him/her to cross the river Baitarni, by allowing the dead to cling to her tail, if he/she ties the doro to the tail of a cow on Laxmi Puja day.
What do we do in Rakshya Bandhan?
In Raksha Bandhan morning people crowd around the
Pandit who ties the orange, yellow or red thread around devotees’ wrist
chanting a quick prayer/raksha bandhan mantra which goes, '
"Yena baddho Balee raajaa daanavendro mahaabalah
tena twaamavi badhnaami rakshe maa chala maa chala"
tena twaamavi badhnaami rakshe maa chala maa chala"
"एन बद्धु बलि राजा दानबिन्द्रो महावल
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