Nepal celebrates hundreds of annual events all year long. One of them is the Gaijatra festival. It is a very important event for Nepalese Newar groups, especially in the valley of Kathmandu. Typically, this celebration takes place in the month of Bhadra. Gaijatra is a combination of two words. This is the festival of a cow because “Gai” signifies cow and “Jatra” denotes a procession. This holiday is traditionally observed by carrying a cow through the street to honor loved ones who have passed away and to keep their memories alive. If the cow isn’t available, small children dressed as a cow sign are used as a fair substitute.
Hindus believe that the cow will aid the soul of the deceased in entering heaven. They honor the passing of a member of their family. The purpose of the Gaijatra event is to honor departed family members.
According to tradition, the 18th-century ruler Pratap Malla announced the celebration of the Gaijatra festival. He was Kantipur’s ruthless dictator at the time (today is known as Kathmandu). The death of their very young son left the Queen of Pratap Malla in a terrible state of depression. The King made every effort to make the Queen smile, but he was unable to do so. In the end, the King stated that a parade would be formed from each house that had suffered a loss.Nepal’s Gaijatra festival
He also gave the command to perform as many enjoyable tasks as possible in order to make Queen smile. In accordance with the King’s directive, the populace left their homes to join the procession while wearing cow costumes and goofy facial paint. At that instant, she grinned and felt relieved. Finally, the procession made it clear to the Queen that many residents of the community had lost family members. The Gaijatra festival has been observed in Nepal ever since.
The Gaijatra festival is also recognized as a day where people are free to express themselves, shout, and make fun of the establishment.A collection of comedic performers organizes several amusing activities throughout the event. A similar type of amusing program also keeps people entertained till late at night with jokes, funny music, drama, and humor. In Nepal, the Gaijatra festival is a poignant annual occasion for many families who have lost loved ones. The Kathmandu Valley, which includes Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur, is where the Newar communities celebrate this holiday in great numbers. During this festival, the government grants a unique holiday only to residents of the Kathmandu Valley.
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