Janabaha Dyo Ja Ju (Coming of age/Lifecycle Ceremony)
After the bathing ceremony, Janabaha Dyo along with White Tara & Green Tara are placed a few meters outside the sanctum. It is scrubbed clean from the top (head) to the toe (bottom) by ritually purified caretaker priests i.e. Shakya and Vajracharya of the Janabaha dyo temple for the whole day.
The next day, the deities are displayed in the baha for sunbathing, during which the priests paint the idols of Janabaha Dyo and White Tara in white, while Green Tara is adorned in green. The whole body is painted meticulously by the caretaker priests from 11am until 4pm each day. This process is known as “Laapuli Chaayegu” in Nepal Bhasa.
The idol painting continues until the full moon of “Mila Punhi”, within this period being the only time the Two Taras are publicly visible. On the final day, the priests complete the eye painting with Gold and cover the eyes with Nepali paper, decorating the feet with alah (adorning the feet with red dye).
Prior to returning the deities to the temple, the priests conduct numerous rituals, reflecting the deity’s dual male and female identities, necessitating rituals for both genders.
- The janko (rice-feeding) ceremony is performed, where charu jaa (rice made with panchamrit) is shared, along with other rituals such as
- Ih : (bel bibaha), bara: (gufa), and bratabandha: akin to a coming-of-age ceremony.
The deity is then dressed in new garments and adorned with jewellery. Finally, in the evening, the unveiling of the deity’s face is done which symbolizes its birth. Also, the two Taras (White Tara and Green Tara) are exhibited for 4 days after the deity has been installed in the temple, and are covered the entire year.
Ultimately, the deity is reinstated within the temple, and as part of a welcoming ceremony akin to that of a new bride, they distribute sa-bhojan, consisting of 32 different dishes.



