Gai Jatra is a festival generally celebrated by the Newar community in Nepal. It was introduced during the 17th century. This festival is celebrated to honor those who passed away in the previous year.
People started to celebrate Gai Katra from the time of King Pratap Malla’s reign. According to the story, the king’s son passed away and the queen was left with sorrowful memories of her son which led to the king make the people who have lost their loved ones in the ongoing year come to the palace with a cow or a boy dressed up as a cow symbolizing shared sorrow and those who could make the queen smile or laugh were promised a reward which led to the celebration of Gai Jatra.
Activities and celebrations
- Communities bond better and get to know each other.
- People parade with cows or boys dressed as cows in honor of their deceased loved ones.
- People perform folk dances and traditional music on the street.
- Nowadays, people also celebrate Gai Jatra as an act of mockery to the politicians.
In a nutshell, Gai Jatra is a celebratory way of honoring our loved ones. The kids also have fun while doing such activities, wearing fun colors and roaming in the streets of generally Bhaktapur with a unique atmosphere.
Jenish Bhatta
GPHS VIII