Gai Jatra (Cow Festival) In Bhaktapur

In Bhaktapur Durbar Square

Gai Jatra, one of the oldest festival is celebrated by the Newar community is believed to have initiated by the Malla Kings which is celebrated every year to bring joy and happiness to the people who suffer from grief from the death of the close relatives, also it is believed the soul would rest in peace. In Bhaktapur it was started by King Jayasthiti Malla where as King Pratap Malla started it in Kathmandu. This festival is celebrated for 8 days beginning from shrawan shukla pratipdaa.

Entrance of Bhaktapur Durbar Square

At 55 windows Durbar

This festival is quite different in Bhaktapur than in a way it is celebrated in Kathmandu. The dance ghintang ghisee, the ancient musical instruments and the picture of a demise person that is clinged on the long bamboo decorated with various stuff and carried by four person. The sequence of the group celebrating this festival is such that in the front there are dancers followed by the insturment players (these days new instruments have also come into played like in marriage) and at the end there are people carrying the pictures on the long bamboo. This is what makes it quite unique from Kathmandu.

ghinee twang - ghinee twang
ghintang ghisee twang

Foreigners in ghintang ghisee rhythm

This is the rhythm that is followed in the festival. When this rhythm is reached at twang the participants hit each other stick to sound twaakaa. The rhythm is very melodious when the large number of participants dance and hit the each other stick. It's quite easy to learn and that is why some of the foreigners were seen dancing ghintang ghisee.

Kids playing in ghintang ghisee

One of the interesting thing that could be noticed in the recent Gai Jatras is the number of girls participating in the festival which otherwise they have to sit around the home and just watch. In the last 2-3 years such participants have increased tremendously breaking the old traditional myth which states girls should be allowed to participate. The boys who are decorated as girls now have decreased after the increased participants of girls. However the glamor of the festival have increased by the girls and boys participation who dance along the rhythm.

At Kathmandu Durbar Square

At Kathmandu Durbar Square

In Kathmandu, the kids (boys) are dressed and decorated in a way that looks humorous sometimes by making them dressed like cow or girl. Some of the adult also participate in this festival who are decorated as jogis, beggar, mad person or anything that makes people laugh or just give a kind of statement that adds humor. During the festival the people revolve around mainly in the inner Kathmandu. The participants are given food, chocolates, biscuits, water, milk etc. by the visitors that makes this festival more entertaining. Likewise in Bhaktapur, Kathmandu also observed the increased participants of girls.

Gai Jatra

On 29th August 2007, we Leo Club of Kathmandu Mahankal distributed the drinking water to the street walker during the occasion of Gai Jaitra. People have to walk a long way for this festival, so we thought of distributing the drinking water to make them feel ease to walk under the bright sunlight. First we thought no one would drink the water, but the response was overwhelming. We bought 5 huge jars in the beginning and again we had to order next 5 jars.

About the FESTIVAL

The festival of "Gai Jatra", the procession of cows, is generally celebrated in the Nepalese month of Bhadra (August-September). The festival of cows is one of the most popular festivals of Nepal. The whole complex of Gai Jatra festival has its roots in the ancient age when people feared and worshipped Yamaraj,"the god of death". However, the ironical sessions synonymous with the Gai Jatra festival came into tradition in the medieval period of Nepal during the reign of Malla Kings. Hence, the present form of Gai Jatra is a happy blending of antiquity and medievalism.

According to the traditions since times immemorial, every family who has lost one relative during the past year must participate in a procession through the streets of Kathmandu leading a cow. If a cow is unavailable then a young boy dressed as a cow is considered a fair substitute. In Hinduism, a cow is regarded as the most venerated among all the domestic animals. It is believed that the cow, revered as a holy animal by Hindus, will help the deceased relative's journey to heaven.

In terms of historical evidences, once when King Pratap Malla lost his son, his wife, the queen remained dumbstruck. The king was very sad to see the condition of his beloved queen. The king, in spite of his several efforts, could not lessen the grief of his wife. By all means he wanted to see little smile on the lips of his sweetheart. He announced that someone who ever made the queen laugh would be rewarded adequately.

During the festival of Gai Jatra, the cow procession was brought before the griefstricken queen. Then the participants began ridiculing and befooling the important people of the society. Finally when the social injustice and other evils were highlighted and attacked mercilessly, the queen could not stop smiling. The queen laughed, and Pratap Malla, the king ensued a tradition of including jokes, satires,mockery and lampoon in the Gai Jatra days.

After the procession is over, in the afternoon, nearly everyone takes part in another age-old tradition in which the participants dress up and wear masks. The occassion is filled with songs,jokes, mockery and humour of every kind become the order of the day until late evening. Hence, Gai Jatra is a healthy festival which enables the people to accept the reality of death and to prepare oneself for the life after death. According to Hinduism,"whatever a man does in his life is a preparation to lead a good life, after death". - Source: http://www.nepalhomepage.com