Gai Jatra
गाईजात्रा
Also known as: Saparu (Newari)
The Newar 'Cow Festival' - families who lost a member in the past year lead a cow (or a child dressed as a cow) in procession, as cows are believed to guide souls to the afterlife. In Bhaktapur, the festival is marked by colourful costumes and social satire.
When
August
Gregorian (approximate — lunar dates shift yearly)
Nepali month
Bhadra
Bikram Sambat calendar
Duration
1 day (8 days in Bhaktapur)
Tourist appeal
Medium
Newari · Kathmandu Valley
Gai Jatra is unique among Nepal's festivals for its blend of grief and celebration. Bereaved families parade through the streets in processional acknowledgment of their loss; onlookers comfort them with humour, satire and festive performances. In Bhaktapur, the festival has evolved into a week of elaborate costumes, transvestite performances and political satire, with a long historical tradition dating to the 17th-century Malla king Pratap Malla, who instituted the festival to comfort his queen after their son's death.
Traditions & rituals
Bereaved families process with a cow or a child dressed as a cow
Elaborate costumes and political satire (Bhaktapur is especially vibrant)
Dahi chiura (yoghurt with beaten rice) offered to passing processions
When does Gai Jatra fall this year?
Gai Jatra is observed in the Nepali month of Bhadra, which corresponds to roughly August in the Gregorian calendar. Most Nepali festivals follow the lunar Bikram Sambat calendar, so the precise day moves each year. Use our converter to map any Bikram Sambat date to the Gregorian calendar.
Nepali date converter (BS ⇄ AD) →Gai Jatra, answered
Common questions about the date, duration and meaning of Gai Jatra.
When is Gai Jatra celebrated?+
Gai Jatra falls in August — the Nepali month of Bhadra in the Bikram Sambat calendar. Because most Nepali festivals follow the lunar calendar, the exact Gregorian dates shift slightly each year.
How long does Gai Jatra last?+
Gai Jatra lasts 1 day (8 days in Bhaktapur).
What is the significance of Gai Jatra?+
The Newar 'Cow Festival' - families who lost a member in the past year lead a cow (or a child dressed as a cow) in procession, as cows are believed to guide souls to the afterlife. In Bhaktapur, the festival is marked by colourful costumes and social satire.
Who celebrates Gai Jatra and where?+
Gai Jatra is primarily a Newari festival, celebrated mainly in the Kathmandu Valley.
Other festivals of Nepal
Sources & data note
Festival dates follow the lunar Bikram Sambat calendar and shift each Gregorian year; the approximate Gregorian months reflect the typical recent range. Cultural details on Gai Jatra are sourced from the Nepal Tourism Board and the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.