The traditional festival of Gai Jatra, also known as the ‘Cow Festival,’ is being celebrated with great enthusiasm across the Kathmandu Valley and other parts of Nepal. The festival, which combines elements of fun, humor, and satire, is observed in the cities of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Lalitpur, as well as in other towns including Banepa, Dhulikhel, Trishuli, and Pokhara.
Gai Jatra, an eight-day festival, typically begins on the first day of the waning moon in the month of Bhadra, according to the lunar calendar. This year, the festival started today, bringing the streets alive with colorful processions and traditional performances.
During the festival, participants of all ages dress as cows or in outlandish costumes, roaming the streets to commemorate those who have passed away in the past year. Bereaved families offer fruits, bread, beaten rice, curd, and money to those participating in the procession, including the symbolic cows, as a way of honoring the deceased.
The festival has its roots in a religious belief that the deceased, on their journey to heaven, cross a mythical river by holding onto the tail of a cow. This belief is central to the rituals of Gai Jatra, where cows play a symbolic role in guiding souls to the afterlife.
Gai Jatra is believed to have originated during the reign of King Pratap Malla. The king, in an effort to console his grieving queen after the death of their son in a smallpox epidemic, encouraged his subjects to organize humorous and satirical performances. This tradition has continued over the centuries and is now a key aspect of the festival, with people using the occasion to express their thoughts on social and political issues through comic skits, cartoons, and other forms of satire.
In addition to the Kathmandu Valley, Gai Jatra is celebrated in various other parts of Nepal, including Dolakha, Khotang, Bhojpur, Ilam, Dharan, Biratnagar, Birgunj, Bahrabise, and Hetauda. The government has declared a public holiday in the Kathmandu Valley today in honor of the festival.
The Gai Jatra festival is not only a time to remember the departed but also an opportunity for the community to come together, share in laughter, and reflect on contemporary social issues through the lens of humor.
