गाईजात्रा – Gai jatra: The day to console the departed soul

Gai jatra is a post Monsoon Festival, celebrated in all the major towns in Nepal on the first day of the lunar dark fortnight of Bhadra (August/Sept). Every household that had lost a loved one to death in the year takes out a symbolic cow around the town on this day.

This festival is 1) to ease the souls of the dead people enter Yamalok: the kingdom of Yam Raj that rules the souls of dead people, 2) to demonstrate that not only the queen lost her son but also many citizens lost their loved ones thus to console the grieving queen, 3) to take the census of the dead people during that year.

Symbolic cows preceded by dancers are paraded in Bhaktapur. Boys painted as cows or live cows parade in Kathmandu. People roll small drums during the procession in Lalitpur.