Gai Jatra (Cow Festival) is the festival of cow celebrated every year in August/September. This is one of the most popular festivals in Nepal as it is full of humor, satire, comedy, mockery and shades of sadness too at the same time. On this day satires and jokes on anybody is legal. The whole complex of Gai Jatra festival has its roots in the ancient age when people feared and worshipped Yamaraj,"the god of death". This festival was started by the Malla King when his wife, the queen remained dumbstruck because of their son's death. The king was very sad to see the condition of his beloved queen. The king, in spite of his several efforts, could not lessen the grief of his wife. By all means he wanted to see little smile on the lips of his sweetheart. He announced that someone who ever made the queen laugh would be rewarded adequately. And is being preserved till today. As per the tradition, the family who has lost a relative during the past one year must take part in a procession by sending young boys in cow like attire and walk through the streets of Kathmandu lead by a cow. Cow is the national animal of Nepal and is regarded as a Goddess. This festival is celebrated in the memory of the loved ones who lost their lives due to various reasons. .This festival also purges those who have lost their loved ones as they get to console themselves as to they are not the only ones who have been bereaved and it also teaches to accept death as a part of life.
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