A Hindu priest holds colourful sacred threads ‘Janai’ as he celebrates the Janai Purnima festival at the Pashupati temple in Kathmandu yesterday. During Janai Purnima, also known as the Sacred Thread festival or Raksha Bandhan, Hindu men, especially the Brahmans and Chettris, perform their annual change of Janai, sacred threads worn across the chest or tied around the wrist. The thread is a symbol of protection, according to Hindu belief. The festival also marks the end of the monsoon season.
