Cow Festival

                 

                                                      Cow Festival                                                                                         

The Cow Festival in Nepal: Aims and Methodology of Gaijatra Celebration: Its Historical Background and Cultural Implications Festival in Neuappolitan culture is as important as fabric in the whole social life where festivities are interpay which portrays history, religious beliefs and ethno cultural norms. Among all these festivals, Gaijatra or the “Cow Festival” is quite exceptional, it is unique. It has Nepalese people united in remembering the lost ones, having fun and celebrating this bright tradition with joy. Gaijatra, which has a rich cultural and religious background, but still remains an ancient festival of the Newar people, has been celebrated in the Kathmandu Valley very energetically. This paper aims to discuss when the Gaijatra festival is celebrated, what people do during the festival and why the festival is still relevant to Nepali culture of the present day. Historical Roots of Gaijatra The word "Gaijatra" is a combination of two words: An amalgamation of the word “Gai” which is Cow in English and “Jatra” which connotes procession or festival. The history of festival according to the historical notes dates back to 17th century during the rulership of king Pratap Malla, a notorious kathmandu valley king. The festival according to the historical researchers was started during the reign of Malla when the queen of Malla was distraught by the death of her only child. Though she could not get out of mourning, the king came up with a special funeral where those who had buried their dear ones in the previous one year dressed up and entertained cows parading through various streets and prayed for the souls of the dead. He thought that this procession would help the queen know there are people out there who also grieve and perhaps help her accept her own. Hence, bereavement in some form was culturally packaged in Gaijatra and made acceptable through reverence, remembrance and laughter. Gaijatra was transformed not only as a part of the invention of Newar community and Royal but also as fundamental cultural and religious festivals of the Nepalese society. Significance of the Cows in Gaijatra

In Hinduism, cow is considered a sacred animal that means wealth, strength or simply a cow is equivalent to Nepali culture. In the Gaijatra case, the cow is a good spirit inserted between the dead and the other world saying that the Gaijatra itself symbolizes escorting the dead to the other world. In Hindu culture, a cow is said to lead a person throughout an ambiguous area of life and death. Families use cattle in the festival with an aim of helping their departed members cross over successfully to the other side. If a family does not have a cow, the young boy is dressed like a cow to head the family’s entourage as a spirit for the deceased to follow. Other traditions also include celebrations/rituals. Gaijatra generally occurs in Bhadra, the eighth month of the Nepali calendar corresponding to August–September and the festival differs slightly from one region to another. Of all the celebrations of remarkable bovines, Newar community of Kathmandu valley is most directly related to Gaijatra but such celebrations are ubiquitous in Nepal with little variations depending on the region. These celebrations are colorful parades that feature songs, dances, floats, tricks, pompoms and costumes, though they are satire and fun mixed with religious feelings. 1. The Procession The other important activity is the parade of cows or cow substitute characters done by those families who have lost their loved ones in the previous year. They wear brightly colored clothes; relatives of the deceased and other attendees of the person’s community accompany these cows through the city streets, singing and reciting incantations. The cow procession is an imitation that is performed to remember the dead and ensuingly mourn them so that a family has a way to deal with their loss as well as embracing the temporary nature of life.

2. Children should not view satire and parody performances.

After the initial parade the festival starts to transform into something what makes the Gaijatra special with the performances. Clowns, poets, acrobats and dancers entertain the crowd with performances that parody political leaders and public relations, comedies, mockeries, and sometimes even scandals. Such satirically based performances are believed to have been nurtured by king Pratap Malla, who wanted people to laugh in wake of the devastation. Thanks to playing, singing and so on, such as comical style of plays, songs, the political leaders and societal issues are mocked and imitated. This process of remembering and laughing allows the participants to work through their painadiensing death and provoking a message that anything can happen in life. 3. Dance and Music Play is central in Gaijatra, especially dance and music, accompanied with Newari dance music instruments such as the dhime (drum), the flute and others. People sing during this festival and dance their heart out doing particular dances that belong to the festival doing it in harmony to the energetic Gogian folk music. The dances also use some signs to respect the dead and ask joy to return in their midst. 4. The Symbols and Food in the Form of feasting and community gathering Hence, food boycott becomes a small part of the festival as people get together and share food during the Gaijatra. There are numerous Foods: The ‘Yomari’ is deep fried sesame and molasses stuffed pastry, ‘Chatamari’ is a type of rice pancake and sweets. There are food booths constructed on the side of roads to ensure that people take food as they celebrate the festival. Funerals also symbolise a form of respect towards the dead as way of compensating them for their time on earth but also as a way of reconciling those who are alive and making them stronger through the act of sharing the burdens and sorrows of life.

Different Form of Gaijatra fested in Different regions

Besides the Kathmandu valley, other parts of Nepal also celebrate Gaijatra though with slightly different customs to those of the valley. Bhaktapur: The festival of Gaijatra is especially enthusiastically celebrated in Bhaktapur where Newar culture is most easily observed and great emphasis is given to traditions. Here the festival has grand dress, gay dresses, chariot drifts and hypnotizing dances. There is free use of symbolic masks depicting gods or spirits which makes the occasion symbolic. Patan (Lalitpur): That is why Gaijatra of Patan city always adds a handmade element of art called the costumes which signify the beauty of art there. Masks and costumes are made locally making it possible for participants to showcase their to the eyes through colorful displays. Thus engaging the people by putting more of music, in this Gaijatra of Patan, different instruments of Newari culture often includes the base of processions and jubilant. Kirtipur: Like other cities near Kathmandu, Kirtipur observes Gaijatra but in a less pomp but with great unity. The procession and satirical performances are here crucial; families and various local groups come to give honors to the dead in somewhat more personal manner. This Gaijatra, organized by the Municipalities and a villagers’ committee in Kirtipur, sometimes employs folklore, where the elderly narrate among others tales of previous festivals to the young ones as a way of sharing the culture of the society.

Pokhara and Other Regions: It may not be as widely celebrated outside the Kathmandu Valley but the lake city of Pokhara also celebrates Gaijatra in somewhat less grandeur styles. It is more personalised to particulare family activities than general public festivities but concern for recursiveness, for resurrection, or rebirth, emphasis on the dead and on the use of laughter as a coping mechanism are central concerns here. The Cultural and social Significance of Gaijatra

Everyone in Nepali society has directly or indirectly benefited from Gaij atra and its influence in the country. With focus on laughter and commemorating the lost, the festival demasks the grieving as a collective focus, thus socializing pain. This way of handling bereavement in groups of people came as a way of ensuring people grieved by ensuring that they are always reminded that death is part of life and affects all. The custom of the fun and making caricature for the festival contributes to establishment of freedom of speech since the participants gives caricature of what happening in the society or governors without even a slightest fear of being punished. That is why people simply go to Gaijatra to let out their frustrations and literally satirically mock the society without suffering any legal consequences. Thanks to the satirical performances people get an opportunity to express themselves in a way, and share their views with authority and social issues as well in a more positive manner that will not miss positive response. Indeed, through Gaijatra families and generations in communities are brought together. Through storytelling and sharing of food and songs, the elderly make sure that the young people of Nepal know what their people have been up to and what they can embrace. In Gaijatra, people express compassion, strength and solidarity and new generation is socialized that loss belongs to the universal experience. Contemporary Issues and Developments Modern day Gaijatra does encounter a few social issues in present day Nepal where rural culture is constantly being influenced by the newly sprouting urban culture and globalisation. Due to the effect of the media and the post-modernist culture from developed countries, specially the young generation leaves many traditional festivals behind. The other constraint facing organizers of these celebrations is the lack of space provided by expanded urban infrastructure to accommodate large processions and crowds. But to my surprise activities to conserve and rejuvenate its zest are not completely ceased even today. Churches, clubs and political leaders provide calendars and fliers to publicize the events that surround the festival to enhance its significance. It has also gained once again the attention of the present generation of Nepalese whose sense of fun, culture, and comradeship in Gaijatra is amusing, entertaining, and unique in many ways. Few changes are observed in festival celebration and adaptation is seen where the use of social media and technology helps in promotion and documentation of Gaijatra Festival. It enables individuals write posts, post pictures, record videos and share their experiences making people from different geographical locations Gelberg, (2013) . Conclusion

Gaijatra or Cow Festival is also a much more than a crusade; it is a social ethos of Nepal, an era, and an assessment of joy and sorrow, life and death. Originally arising out of an incident where a king tried to comfort a disappointed queen, Gaijatra has turned into a greatly fluid festival that marks the balance between the serious and the funny, the painful and the folly. Through processions, playing the flute, as well as dancing, the festival strengthens the understanding of togetherness in grief whereas scandalous performances ensure people can discuss burning topics in society.