Gai jatra is known as cow festival. This festival is celebrated by newars and specially in Kathmandu valley. Nepal is multi cultural nation. Here festival are celebrate according to their cultures and rituals. Yes, Gai jatra festivals are celebrate by newars with their own ways. This festivals falls generally in the month of August/September and according to the nepali calendar Bhadra. Gai jatra is celebrated in the memory of death people. Each family of newars organise this festival who have lost their family member. According to legend, king of Kathmandu Pratap Malla, lost his young son and his wife was in great misery. The condition of queen was getting worst day by day. So for the queen smile and happiness King Pratap Malla announced that anyone who could make the queen laugh would be rewarded adequately. After that king asked to bring procession before the sad queen. All the people tried their best with different costumes, funny jokes and humorous acts. The dance and procession gave queen smile. The procession gave the queen big relief and knew that there are several death of people in the city. Death is the natural phenomenon and no one has control on it. From that day king declared this festival is celebrate once a year in memory of death love one

It is also said that in ancient time people started worshiping Yamaraj the god of the death on this day. Now, Gai jatra is perform with humorous acts, parody, comedy and different makeups and costumes of animals. Every family who had death in the family during the preceding year must participate in a procession through the streets of Kathmandu. Young kids are dressed as cow and in the form of gods like Radha, krishna, parvati, sita, Ram , shiva if a cow is unavailable. But if you visit in Bhaktapur city that day You find Bhakatpurians are celebrating it in different way. Speciality is Tahaa Machaa and stick dancing. Tahaa Machaa is make by joining long bamboos with different colourful clothes. If the death one is female sari and black haku patasi is used and if cow is male other color cloths are used. It is beautifully decorated with umbrella, flowers, ornaments and photo of death people. There are mass of people dancing and singing with their own musical instruments and stick dancing. All the people tried their best with different costumes, funny jokes and humorous acts.

This festival make people to accept the reality of death and to prepare oneself for the life after death. People realize that every family has lost their members, people die. We are not alone in the country who lost our loved ones

Festival in Nepal