Kathmandu, Nepal: Gaijatra, which is also known as the cow festival, is being observed today across the country today.
The traditional festival used to celebrate with much more fanfare in the Kathmandu Valley and other parts of the country, where majority of the Newar communities are there.
The festival, combined with tradition and entertainment, begins from the first day of the waning moon in the month of Bhadra as per the lunar calendar and lasts for a week.
The government has declared public holiday today in Kathandu valley to make the day special.
It is used to believe that deceased can crosses a legendary river by grabbing the tail of a cow during their journey to heaven. It is also believed that the tradition of the festival started during the regime of King Pratap Malla.
According to the tradition, King Malla had had ordered the people to organize humor and satire program in a bid to console his queen, who had much grieved at the death of her son due to the smallpox epidemic. The tradition has been continued naming it as Gaijatra festival.
