Pokhara:  The traditional festival of Gaijatra or the ‘cow festival’ is being observed today in Pokhara.

All photos: Suraj Hazare Dahal

It is observed day of the waning moon in the month of Srawan/Bhadra.

During this time-honored tradition, people of all ages in the guise of cows and lunatics go around the city, wearing odd costumes to commemorate those who died during the past one year.

This festival is believed to have started during the time of King Pratap Malla, who, in a bid to console his queen, much grieved at the death of her son in a smallpox epidemic, ordered his people to organize humour and satire programmes in various comic postures.

This tradition remained continued in the form of the Gaijatra festival during which people also vent out their feelings towards social and political anomalies, human follies and other contemporary affairs through comic skits and cartoons.