Ghode Jatra

Being a Newar in caste of Kathmandu, we have lots of festival to celebrate. Among them Ghode Jatra is one. Ghode Jatra which mean the festive of the horse riding. Ghode means horse, Jatra means a celebration. This Ghode Jatra lies in the mid of march and Early of April. Last year it was in 1st of April. In the Ghode Jatra, other people will celebrate by watching the horse race, different stunt of horses and different gymnastic and different motor cycle stunt in the Tudikhel showground. But Me being newar we have lots of other activities going on our home. It’s a festive for us, so we will have to prepare a meal (mostly newar festival meal, haku chhoyela (meat dried in smoke), tuyu thon (a sort of alcohol made from rice and white in color), samaya baji (a mixture of bitten rice, some soyabean, so mixture of ginger pieces, fish, bread of black pulses etc), and much more other things. We have to invite relatives on this day to our home to celebrate it. So for me, it is a day of feast and I enjoy a lot.
According to the story I have heard from my grand father, the people of Kathmandu defeated the demon and buried under the Tudinkhel. That land where demon was buried needed to be trampled on the horses each year so that it will not rise and spread terror on the people. So every year Ghode Jatra is celebrated. As a custom king of the country has to come to watch those horse parade. The horse parade and stunt will be performed by the army of the Nepal and all the higher posted army should be presented on that day. King should also wear the army uniform in that day.

The Ghode jatra of Nepal is the unique Jatra of Nepal and solely celebrated in Nepal only. If you visited Nepal in Mid March and Early April you can observe this festival in Tudikhel. Personally I love this Festive a lot cause there will be lots of Newari food available in this day.