Aug 08

Gai Jatra, Kirtipur, Nepal, Kathmandu, Valley,

Gai Jatra process in Kirtipur in Kathmandu Valley

Gai jatra is a festival celebrated by the Newars all over Nepal, specially the cities inside Kathmandu valley and places where there is a strong presence of the Newar community. This festival is celebrated by the family to commemorate the death of their loved ones during the past year.

Different city celebrate this festival in their own unique way. The cities Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, Kirtipur and Pokhara have their own way to celebrate this festival.

This year I went to Kirtipur to observe this festival. It was my first time at Kirtipur during this festival. Here the celebration is different than the other three cities in the Kathmandu valley.

At different places, they were performing a parody drama in Nepal Bhasa (Newari Language) and people were enjoying it to the fullest. Same time people from different areas of Kirtipur were going around the city with photos of their loved one who had passed away the previous year.

People participating in this festival were wearing masks of different deities. Some of them had their face painted, some men dressed like woman and some even tried to look like a cow.

I have captured some pictures of Gai Jatra of Kirtipur, hope you guys like them.

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