janeu

plural janeus

1. HinduismA sacred thread or cord received as a rite of passage by someone studying under a guru.

   He had tied a diamond ring to his janeu thread and hidden it in the folds of his dhoti.

   2015, Tridip Suhrud, translating Govardhanram Madhavram Tripathi, Sarasvatichandra I, Orient BlackSwan 2015, p. 132

   2 more examples

   The words bring back the memory of Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh guru, who gave up his life to the Mughal authorities for the upkeep of Hindu religious symbols: the janeu and the tilak.

   2003, Bhawan Singh Rana, Indian Critiques of Gandhi, page 181

   The origin of the janëu has not been explained as yet; many believe it to be the remnant of a garment.

   2007, Klaus K. Klostermaier, A Survey of Hinduism, 3rd edition, page 150