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.
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