Gaijatra Festival Celebrated with Humor and Satire Across Kathmandu Valley and Beyond

The traditional festival of Gaijatra, also known as the ‘cow festival,’ is being celebrated today with various programs filled with fun, humor, and satire in the three cities of the Kathmandu Valley—Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Lalitpur—as well as in other parts of the country.

The eight-day festival, which generally begins on the first day of the waning moon in the month of Bhadra (Bhadra Krishna Pratiprada) and ends on Astami, is a time-honored tradition observed according to the lunar calendar.

During Gaijatra, people of all ages dress up as cows and lunatics, wearing quirky costumes and parading through the streets to honor those who have passed away in the past year. Bereaved families offer fruits, bread, beaten rice, curd, and money to those participating in the procession, including those dressed as cows.

The festival’s name is derived from a religious belief that the souls of the deceased, on their journey to heaven, cross a legendary river by holding onto the tail of a cow.

Gaijatra is believed to have originated during the reign of King Pratap Malla, who introduced the festival to console his grieving queen after the death of their son during a smallpox epidemic. He encouraged his subjects to organize humorous and satirical performances in various comic postures to lift the queen’s spirits. This tradition has continued, with the festival serving as a platform for people to express their views on social and political issues, human follies, and other contemporary matters through comic skits, cartoons, and other forms of satire.

In addition to the Kathmandu Valley, Gaijatra is also celebrated in Banepa, Dhulikhel, Trishuli, Dolakha, Khotang, Bhojpur, Chainpur, Ilam, Dharan, Biratnagar, Birgunj, Bahrabise, Hetauda, and Pokhara. The government has declared a public holiday in the Kathmandu Valley today to mark the occasion.