GAI JATRA

GAI JATRA

Sa Paru (also known as Gai Jatra), is the festival, celebrated in Nepal, mainly in Kathmandu valley by the Newar and the Tharu community. The festival commemorates the death of people during the year. During the festival, cows are marched in the streets and generally celebrated in the month of Bhadra (August–September). It falls on the 1st day of the dark fortnight of Gunla according to the lunar Nepal Era

calendar. People also distribute food to others. The festival of cows is one of the most popular festivals of Nepal. It is celebrated to remove the sadness of death of family members.

The whole complex of Sa Paru festival has its roots in the ancient ages for, the dead Parent.

• According to the traditions since time 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 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.
• According to the historical evidence, when King Pratap Malla lost his son, his wife, the queen, remained grief-stricken. The king was very sad to see the condition of his beloved queen. The king, in spite of several efforts, could not lessen the grief of his wife. He desperately wanted to see a little smile on the lips of his sweetheart, and so he announced that anyone who made the queen laugh would be rewarded adequately.
• During the Sa Paru, the cow procession was brought before the grief-stricken queen. Then the participants began ridiculing and be-fooling the important people of the society. Finally, when the social injustices and other evils were highlighted and attacked mercilessly, the queen could not help but smile. The queen cried and the king instituted a tradition of including funny jokes, satire, monkey, and lagoons into the Sa Paru celebrating the day.

• After the procession is over, in the afternoon, nearly everyone takes part in another age-old tradition in which the participants dress up and wear masks. The occasion is filled with songs and jokes. Mockery and humor of every kind become the order of the day until late evening. Hence, Sa Paru is a healthy festival which enables the people to accept the reality of death and to prepare themselves for life after death. According to Hinduism, "whatever a man does in his life is a preparation leading to a good life after death".