Aug 30

Gai Jatra festival in Bhaktapur

Gai Jatra is the festival to commemorate the death of the people during the year. The festival mostly is celebrated by the Newar community. It is one of the biggest festival of Kathmandu valley. All the three major cities of Kathmandu have it’s own way of celebrating this festival. This year I went to Bhaktapur to see the festival, it’s a different than the one I have been used to see at Basantapur Durbar Square, Kathmandu.


Every chariot has the photo of the deceased family member. The chariot is small and dressed with clothes. Music and cultural dance is an essential part of this festival here. Ghinta Ghisi dance is a special kind of dance followed by a chariot. The dance is done in a long queue with two persons in a row, hitting the sticks that they carry with the opposite person.

Stick dance during Gai Jatra in Bhaktapur

Ghinta Ghisi dance, Bhaktapur

A lakhe

Local people participating in the Gai jatra festival

Local women participating in the festival

An elderly lady participating in the Gai Jatra

Procession of the chariot in Bhaktapur

A chariot during Gai Jatra in bhaktapur

A young girl participating in the stick dance

Stick dance and full of young energy

A foreigner participates in the stick dance

People duing the gai jatra festival

A group of guys from Anti – Christ, when talked to them, they explained that their group is not about anti Christ but they are against bad practice of all religion

2 Responses to “Gaijatra celebration at Bhaktapur”

  1. Ravi Shah Says:


    Nicely presented dai, loved the pictures! 🙂

  2. pritush Says:


    And life goes on….hoena ta…catch of the day is the third of the last photo…:D

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