Celebrations of Gaijatra Begin Across Nepal and Kathmandu Valley Today

Kathmandu. Today, the Gaijatra festival is being celebrated. This festival is celebrated across the country, particularly through various programs organized in the Kathmandu Valley. 

The traditional cultural festival "Gaijatra" is celebrated every year for eight days, from the first day of the dark fortnight of Bhadra (Bhadra Krishna Pratipada) to the eighth day (Ashtami).

Particularly in the Kathmandu Valley and various other parts of the country, there is a custom of decorating cows or people dressed as cows and leading them in a procession through towns and neighborhoods. 

During Gaijatra, devotees traditionally donate items such as milk, fruits, bread, beaten rice, yogurt, along with food grains and money, to the participants. According to religious belief, when this procession is conducted around the town, relatives who passed away during the past year are believed to cross the mythical Vaitarni River by holding onto the tail of a cow.

The historical origin of Gaijatra is linked to King Pratap Malla of Kathmandu. Historical records show that King Pratap Malla started this festival to make his queen, who was overwhelmed with grief after the loss of their son, realize that everyone in the world experiences sorrow in some form or another.

According to folk legend, when Gaijatra could not ease the queen's grief, the king ordered the performance of various comedic and satirical programs. From this, the tradition of presenting humor, satire, and commentary on social evils developed as part of Gaijatra.