Kathmandu: This year's celebrations of the Janaipurnima, Rakshabandhan, and Gaijatra festivals have been culturally and traditionally advised to take place on Thursday, Bhadau 14 (August 31), according to experts.

The Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Bikas Samiti (Nepal Calendar Fixation Development Committee) has expressed concern over potential "misinformation" regarding the designated day for observing these festivals. To address this, the committee organized an interactive session with the participation of religious leaders and cultural and festival experts.

During the event, scholars from these respective fields unanimously recommended observing the festivals on Thursday, as highlighted by Committee Pro Dr. Shree Krishna Adhikari.

Astrologically, the present day is considered unsuitable for celebrating Rakshabandhan due to the occurrence of the 'Bhadra tithi,' which is a period of the day determined astrologically based on the lunar calendar. The Bhadra tithi, which is astrologically deemed inauspicious, is concluding at 9:03 pm tonight, coinciding with Rakshabandhan's observance time.

Traditionally, Rakshabandhan and Janaipurnima festivals have been celebrated concurrently and have not yet been separated onto distinct days.

It is worth noting that the positioning of the tithi this year has occurred in previous years as well, specifically in 1994, 2024, 2030, 2031, 2055, 2061, 2070, and 2079 BS, as highlighted by the Committee.