Ghode Jatra festival observes in Nepal's Lalitpur city

Mar 24, 2023

Lalitpur (Nepal), Mar 24 (ANI): Ghode Jatra, also known as the festival of horses, was observed in Nepal's ancient city of Lalitpur. Astaman Maharjan became "Kaji Saheb" (the highest post awarded in the royal palace) for the second time this year. Maharjan rode a horse and toured the temples with bystanders clapping and cheering him on. A tradition preserved for ages in Lalitpur, it is observed specifically on Ghode Jatra or the festival of horses. Kaji Saheb, called "Ju-Ju" in Newa, is a procession that is taken out annually in a bid to get a sense of the people and the situation they are in. This tradition of the King riding on a horse and taking to the street is believed to have started during Sri Nivas Malla's (1620–1661) reign in Patan. Earlier, Kathmandu had the tradition of holding the annual horse festival, which is believed to have been started by Pratap Malla (1624–1674). Pratap Malla started the festival to check on the status of his subjects. King Sri Nivas Malla of Patan adopted the tradition in Patan as well to stop the locals from going to Kathmandu to see the procession. Walkhu Chibah has preserved and continued this festival, which has been popular since the Malla regime (13th to 18th centuries). Members of the Guthi take turns riding the horse and touring the city annually on Ghode Jatra, keeping this ancient tradition alive. Covering a distance of about one kilometre, the horse bearer or the Kaji Saheb is congratulated and regarded by members of the society. The festivity, spans an hour, with horses jogging from one temple to another. The Kaji Saheb chews on a betel leaf, a ritual that formally marks the conclusion of the procession. In Kathmandu, the Nepal Army holds a horse parade in front of top dignitaries at the Tundikhel ground or the Nepal Army Pavilion. Nepal has a special status and place for worshipping animals and birds. This festival of worshipping horses, called "Ghode jatra", is observed on the new moon of Chaitra Shukla Paksha of the eastern lunar calendar. According to the Gregorian calendar, it usually falls in mid-March or early April. This tradition was then performed every year on Chaitra Krishna Aunsi and came to be known as Ghode Jatra.