Written by: Sakshi Singh - 29027, Grade V
Posted on: 04 October, 2021
Gai Jatra is a festival of dancing, singing, rejoicing and laughter. This is celebrated in Kathmandu Valley. This festival is mainly celebrated by the Newar people. The word "Gai" means cow in English. The cow is taken as the goddess of wealth in the Hindu religion. This festival is celebrated to recall and show respect to the dead ones. The day is also marked by a gay parade and a lot of people dressed in weird outfits.
The origins of this celebration go back to the reigns of the Malla rulers. The Queen of Malla is said to have been mourning for a long time after the sudden death of her son. The king, to comfort her, asked all the families of the deceased to come out in a procession to show the queen that she was not alone in her suffering. That is why there is so much fun and jokes during the procession.
