The seven-day-long festival is mainly popular among the Newar community. The families who have lost their members during the year parade with decorated cows and disguise themselves as cows or ascetics and walk publicly in a procession around streets in a merry in Bhaktapur and other places of the country. [break]
The decorated cows, girls and image of cows made of mud are being taken to different municipal areas of Bhaktapur from early morning. The main attraction of the festival is Ghintangkisi dance. Locals organise satirical programmes and Ghintangkisi dance for the next seven days.
Gaijatra festival is being observed since the Malla period to commemorate the loss of family members by going around streets with masked faces and idols of cows.
Photo: Bikash Karki
In Kirtipur, Gaijatra, which is also considered to be rich in different cultures, has been organised from early morning Wednesday.
It is believed that King Pratap Malla started the tradition of celebrating Gaijatra during the Malla reign to help his wife recover from the loss of their son.
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