Gai jatra: the festival of death, dance and satiric street performances

Have you ever happened to have attended “Bhalu Pyakhan” in Bhaktapur during the Gai jatra festive season?

Yes, the Gai jatra festive season. It might sound a little unfamiliar but Gai Jatra is indeed the second largest festival of Bhaktapur, after the Biska jatra.  It is continuously celebrated for seven nights and eight days. Annually, the Gai jatra begins with a mash of people and noticeable Tahamacha, the day after Janai Purnima (Gunhi Punhi) and is celebrated until a day before Krishna Janmashtami.

The festival is celebrated in Patan, Bhaktapur, Kathmandu, and Kritipur. But, Bhaktapur somehow manages to grab the attention of visitors. No, not because Bhaktapur city is quite far from the hustle and bustle of the capital. But yes, it might happen because of its unique style and the town’s impactful involvement. Well, locals call this jatra Sa: paru too.

Tall bamboo poles wrapped with clothes and horns made of straws are the basic feature of a Tahamacha. Here, Tahamacha refers to an artificial cow since Gai jatra means the jatra (parade) of cows, there must be cows, right? However, people prepare Tahamacha (an artificial cow) and march it instead of the real cows. After all, Gai jatra is all about imitating things more dramatically.

There, at the top of Tahamacha, people put an umbrella to finalize it. Later on, four-person following the parade carries it. Wait, do you know that they follow a particular route to whirl the Bhaktapur Nagar during Gai jatra? Just like in Biska Jatra?

Well, that particular route is called Pradakshina Patha.

In the parade, people play ghintang ghisi and makha pyakhan along with traditional music. This is what you observe on the very first day of the Gai Jatra. But this does not end the festival here. During the entire festive season, locals get busy observing the late-night acts in different places of Bhaktapur. Some of them include dances like:

Kawana Pyakhan

Kawana is a Newari word that means skeleton. Two of the kids dressed up as skeletons in this dance form and performed the dance performance, facing each other from the opposite corner. The Kawana, as per the personality is a fearsome character.

Yet, it is kinda able to entertain its appreciator. This dance is shown in different parts of Bhaktapur, most likely in Bhaktapur durbar square during the festive season of Gaijatra.

Bhalu Naach/ Pyakhan

Bhalu Naach is also a traditional dance, delivered during Gaijatra where the characterized bear showed up as the main attraction since the dance is all associated with bear. It is more like a storytelling act. That’s why it is called Bhalu Naach (dance), more commonly Bhalu Pyakhan. This dance is generally performed in Nasamana Tole of Bhaktapur.

Khichha Pyakhan

Khicha Pyakhan is another traditional dance form of Bhaktapur which is performed during the Gai Jatra.  This dance is done by two of the participants who wear a costume representing dogs. Through this dance, they show us the loyalty of dogs towards human beings. (The khichha and pyakhan are newari words that mean dog and dance respectively.)

             

Bhairava Dance

Although Bhairava as a character dances in different other dances like in Nil barahi Pyakhan, Nava Durga Dance and Mahalaxmi Dance, however, in Madhyapur Thimi, Bhairav Dance particularly have an added significance. The dance is so much related to cultural and spiritual aspects that it is believed the performance of Bhairava gets rid of the bad luck of ghosts and spiritual demons. 

This dance is said to be started by King Suvarna Malla in 633NS. The men from the Shrestha community practice this dance form with tantric rituals. The dance is mainly showcased on the day after Gai Jatra for four days.

Lakhey dance

Lakhey refers to a demon who used to live in the forest, later it became the protector of the town. This is also a kind of mask and street dance, where a person wears the mask of lakhey and dances with the rhythm of traditional music.

This dance form is more popular in Kathmandu rather than in Bhaktapur. Somehow, this dance is also performed at the Gai Jatra festival.

Oct. 5, 2024, 5:33 a.m.

Back to List