Gaijatra Festival: Remembering the dead

By Praveen Khadka

As a country of different ethnic communities, Nepal has rich and distinct cultures and traditions. It is also the country of festivals as a number of festivals are celebrated. The festival Gaijatra is also one of its own tradition.

The festival, which is observed as the ‘festival of cow‘, across the Kathmandu Valley and other parts of the country seven days. This festival is also observed in Banepa, Dhulikhel, Dolakha, Khotang, Bhojpur, Chainpur, Illam, Dharan, Biratnagar, Birgung, Hetauda but with slightly different styles.

Though it is mainly popular in Newar community, the people belonging to other community also observe this festival.

It is believed that the Gaijatra renders solace to the spirit of dead people who have passed away within a year.

According to historians the festival was initiated by the king Pratap Malla to console his queen who was deeply saddened by the death of her beloved son.

Legend says when the queen was unconsolelabe, the wise king made a plan and requested all the people country to take out a rally with fancy attairs and also guised as cow along the streets after one year and visit the Royal Palace to show his wife that she was not only the women who had lost their dear ones. However the king could not please her queen.

Then the King issued a Royal order to observe this festival for seven days by organizing various programmes. The main theme of the festival is fun, humour and satire. This is how the festival of Gaijatra began. This year the procession included those of the Royal Family members who had died on the June 1 incident.

The deeper meaning of Gaijatra can be taken as death is not an isolated and in spite of deaths occuring in every family life should go on.

It is believed that by giving offerings to those who are dressed up as cows the souls of those who had passed away would find their way to the heaven by holding up to the tails of the cows.

It is observed in different ways in different places.

In Kathmandu, the people who are dressed up as cows have to revolve Hanuman Dhoka. Similarly, in Lalitpur all the people gather in one place and revolve the city. And in Bhaktapur cow or the member of the dead family is prayed by priest and then revolve round the town. Places are greatly brightened up by those people.

This festival is observed for seven days. During these days people are free to express their satirical views against various anomalies taking place in the society.