DigiNepal · festivals
Janai Purnima and Raksha Bandhan (जनै पूर्णिमा / रक्षाबन्धन (Nepali), रक्षाबंधन (Hindi), ऋषि तर्पणी). Region: Nepal; India. Tradition: Hindu. Calendar: Lunar (Shrawan purnima). Dates: Nepal (Janai Purnima) 2026: Friday 28 August 2026 (BS 2083 Bhadra 12; वि.सं. २०८३ १२) [official, source NP]; Nepal (Janai Purnima) 2027: Tuesday 17 August 2027 (BS 2084 Bhadra 1; वि.सं. २०८४ १) [official, source NP]; Nepal (Janai Purnima) 2028: Saturday 5 August 2028 (BS 2085 Shrawan 21; वि.सं. २०८५ २१) [official, source NP]; India (Raksha Bandhan) 2026: Friday 28 August 2026 (BS 2083 Bhadra 12; वि.सं. २०८३ १२) [computed]; India (Raksha Bandhan) 2027: Tuesday 17 August 2027 (BS 2084 Bhadra 1; वि.सं. २०८४ १) [computed]; India (Raksha Bandhan) 2028: Saturday 5 August 2028 (BS 2085 Shrawan 21; वि.सं. २०८५ २१) [computed]. History and significance: On the full moon of Shrawan, Hindu men of the Brahmin and Chhetri communities change the sacred thread (janai) they wear across the chest, after ritual bathing and recitation by priests. People of all communities tie a yellow protective thread (raksha bandhan) on the wrist, and in India the day is best known as Raksha Bandhan, when sisters tie a rakhi on their brothers. Pilgrims gather at Gosaikunda lake and at Kumbheshwar temple in Patan. Newars mark the day as Kwati Purnima by eating a soup of nine sprouted beans. Key rituals and foods: Changing the janai, tying raksha bandhan or rakhi, pilgrimage to Gosaikunda; foods include kwati (mixed sprouted bean soup) and sweets. Date basis: official = matches a government gazetted holiday list; computed = calculated from the calendar system (tithi astronomy with skyfield and JPL DE421, Hijri Umm al-Qura, Chinese, Korean and Hebrew calendar libraries, or the fixed rule); expected = Umm al-Qura projection pending moon sighting. Sources: Wikipedia and Wikidata (CC BY-SA, CC0) and government holiday lists, summarised in our own words.