Gaijatra in Bhaktapur

Gaijatra (ガイジャトラ) is one of the famous festivals in Nepal. It is a festival to recall of the persons who died during the year. In the festival, cow marches in the streets. It is believed that by conducting such festival, dead soul can reach to the heaven with catching cow's tail.

Gaijatra is very similar to the Bon festival (お盆) in Japan.

Gaijatra is famous in all over the Nepal but specially in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Patan, Gorkha, and Palpa. Among these places, Gaijatra of Bhaktapur is most famous one. These are some pictures taken during the Gaijatra festival in Bhaktapur. These temples are belonging to Bhaktapur Durbar Square, A world heritage site, well known tourist area in Nepal.

ガイジャトラは去年１年間で亡くなった人々のため行う祭りです。

Gaijatra spectators at Five story temple (Nyatpol), A World Heritage Site

'GAI' cow procession

A boy carrying National Flag of Nepal

Before evening, Gaijatra in 55 windowed Temple, A World Heritage Site 

The Rabbit in the Moon

The Rabbit in the Moon

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Once the Old-Man-of-the-Moon looked down into a big forest on the earth. He saw a rabbit and a monkey and a fox all living there together in the forest as very good friends.

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"Now, I wonder which of them is the kindest," he said to himself. "I think I'll go down and see."

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So the old man changed himself into a beggar and came down from the moon to the forest where the three animals were.

"Please help me," he said to them. "I'm very hungry."

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"Oh! What a poor old beggar!" they said, and then they went hurrying off to find some food for the beggar.

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The monkey brought a lot of fruit. And the fox caught a big fish. But the rabbit couldn't find anything at all to bring.

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"Oh my! oh my! what shall I do?" the rabbit cried. But just then he got an idea.

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"Please, Mr. Monkey," the rabbit said, "you gather some firewood for me. And you, Mr. Fox, please make a big fire with the wood."

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They did as the rabbit asked, and when the fire was burning very brightly, the rabbit said to the beggar: "I don't have anything to give you. So I'll put myself in this fire, and then when I'm cooked you can eat me."

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The rabbit was about to jump into the fire and cook himself. But just then the beggar suddenly changed himself back into the Old-Man-of-the-Moon.

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"You are very kind, Mr. Rabbit," the Old Man said. "But you should never do anything to harm yourself. Since you are the kindest, of all, I'll take you home to live with me."

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Then the Old-Man-of-the-Moon took the rabbit in his arms and carried him up to the moon. Just look and see! If you look carefully at the moon when it is shining brightly, you can still see the rabbit thee where the Old Man put him so very long ago.