Kirtipur is rich in culture and traditions. As it is dominated by newars , their main festivals are jatras like Bagh Bhairab jatra, Indra jatra, Ganesh jatra, Krishna jatra and many other jatras.
Bagh Bhairab jatra:
Baghbhairab Jatra, a festival of Kirtipur locals who worship their most revered god Baghbhairab during the festival, the festival is marked on the occasion of Singha Sakranti (Bhadra 1). Local residents worship the god and make round of the Kirtipur area by organising a palanquin procession and playing different musical instruments.
Myth has that one is blessed with success and good health if he/she makes round of the Baghbhairab for 108 times on this day, according to a member of the festival management committee Birendra Shakya.
Gai jatra:
The festival of "Gai Jatra", the procession of cows, is generally celebrated in the Nepalese month of Bhadra (August-September). The festival of cows is one of the most popular festivals of Nepal. The whole complex of Gai Jatra festival has its roots in the ancient age when people feared and worshipped Yamaraj,"the god of death". However, the ironical sessions synonymous with the Gai Jatra festival came into tradition in the medieval period of Nepal during the reign of Malla Kings. Hence, the present form of Gai Jatra is a happy blending of antiquity and medievalism.
According to the traditions since times immemorial, every family who has lost one relative during the past year must participate in a procession through the streets of Kathmandu leading a cow. If a cow is unavailable then a young boy dressed as a cow is considered a fair substitute. In Hinduism, a cow is regarded as the most venerated among all the domestic animals. It is believed that the cow, revered as a holy animal by Hindus, will help the deceased relative's journey to heaven.
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In terms of historical evidences, once when King Pratap Malla lost his son, his wife, the queen remained dumbstruck. 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.
