Gai Jatra Festival 2024 in Nepal

Commemoration of death in Nepal might raise some eyebrows, but it definitely is a unique way to organize an event. It used to be that those who lost their loved ones would disguise as cows and dance around the palace of the king. Nowadays, they just put on the cow masks and dance while singing traditional songs. There is also a major food distribution and people share and march the cows around the streets.

Gai Jatra Festival Traditions and History

On this day, people share their grief and talk about their dead loved ones, hoping that the rams are safe. The origin of this festival dates back to the reign of the Malla rulers. After the death of her son, the queen could not cope with her grief and was in mourning for a long time. The king then asked each family that had lost a loved one to join a procession outside to show the queen that she was not alone in her sorrow. That is why today, during the procession, you can hear many jokes and see happy people.