Discover Nepal guide

Gai Jatra (Sa Paru)

Learn about Gai Jatra (Sa Paru) through verified cultural context, key facts, regions, traditions and references.

Communities

Newar community of the Kathmandu Valley

Regions

Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur

Calendar

Bhadau krishna pratipada (BS)

Season

Aug–Sep

Rituals

Families who lost a member in the year lead a cow (or a child dressed as one) in procession; satire, cross-dressing and political mockery are licensed for the day.

Significance

The valley's festival of remembrance — grief met with procession and laughter, dating to a 17th-century queen's mourning, as tradition holds.