Gaijatra festival being observed today KATHMANDU: Denizens of Kathmandu Valley are celebrating the traditional festival of ‘Gaijatra’ in memory of the deceased member of their families. According to the lunar calendar, Gaijatra festival falls on the first day of the waning moon in the month of the Bhadra ( Bhadra Shukla Pratipada ). The celebration, which literally means the festival of cows, is marked with various dance and drama performances; mainly in different places of the three districts of the valley — Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur. The festival is observed mainly by the Newar community, though other communities also participate in the processions. People take out a rally, in memory of their deceased loved ones, dressed like a cow among many other kinds of strange and humorous costumes with peculiar appearance. The bereaved families along with bystanders offer fruits, bread, beaten rice, curd, money among other items to those participating in the proces