Gai Jatra: Honoring the Dead with Life

Gai Jatra, also called Sa Paru is a festival celebrated to honor the memory of the loved ones who passed away. In Nepal, especially in Kathmandu Valley, people from the Newar community celebrate this day by worshipping the Hindu god of death, Yamaraj.

The origin of this festival dates back to the 17th century, when the current king of Nepal, Pratap Malla proposed it. When their newborn son passed away, his queen was unable to recover from the shock as she would stay zoned out in her room for days. As his countless efforts to console her about the inevitability of death went in vain, the king requested help from his citizens. He asked every person who had lost their family members that year to start a festival in front of his Durbar for the queen to see. The first Gai Jatra festival was celebrated in front of Kathmandu Durbar Square. The king had especially asked to include jokes, jests, satires, and other comical elements in the festival which captured everyone’s attention. Seeing so many mourning people gather to accept and honor death in such a lighthearted fashion, the queen was able to come to terms with her grief and finally laughed out loud for the first time.

Satire in politics, culture, and current affairs is one of the main elements of Gai Jatra. There’s a common saying that no one should be offended by the satire done during Gai Jatra, which gave people a safe platform for social commentary. They used comedy to artistically criticize the plutocracy and point out the suffering of the poor, which massively resonated with the common people. Even today, this has continued as a custom of the festival to criticize politicians, media, and other prominent people in society for their misconduct and malpractices.

The procession of Gai Jatra is led by a cow or young children dressed as cows with colorful masks and dresses. In Hindu culture, the cow is revered as the holy mother who guides the departed souls to heaven or salvation. Also, worshipping Yamaraj, the god of death and justice on this day is said to ensure their salvation. People wear various masks and colorful costumes and participate in the festival with musical instruments, flags, and pictures of deceased relatives.

Gai Jatra is a major festival as well as a tourist attraction in Kathmandu. Over time, this celebration to honor death has evolved into a powerful platform for social commentary which has helped people cope with loss and has served as a tool for holding the powerful accountable.

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Image Source: Wikimedia Commons