Ghode Jatra being marked in Kathmandu Valley

Kathmandu: Ghode Jatra is being celebrated in Tundikhel today. Ghode Jatra is one of the oldest festivals celebrated in Kathmandu valley since ancient days.

Mostly the Newa community of the valley celebrates this festival. The Newa community in Palpa, Dharan, and Butwal also celebrate this festival.

The idols Kankeshwari, Lamadi, and Bhadrakali are brought in Asan Chok during the Jatra. This seems to make gods come together at a meeting point.

The Newa community also celebrates a three-day festival Paachare, that starts just one day before Ghode Jatra. There is another ritual of inviting guests for a feast in the home.

There are various beliefs and stories behind the celebration of this festival.

The day is celebrated as a victory over the demon Gurumapa (Tundi). According to mythology, a demon named Gurumapa used to reside in a tree on the East–Northern side of Tundikhel.

The demon used to eat the children. The local people used various methods to kill the demon. But people feared that the spirit of the demon might harm the children again.

Hence, people started celebrating Ghode Jatra in every Krishna Aunsi of Chaitra with a belief that the horse’s hoof would trample the spirit of the demon.

Likewise, people even offer food at the bottom of the tree in order to save all the children from any kind of danger. The people residing in the Kathmandu valley believe that offering food to the tree saves the children from any kind of harm throughout the year. There is also a ritual to make a blind horse run in Lalitpur.

In Vedic Santana Sanskar, ‘Ashvamedha Yagna’ is regarded as the greatest yagya. Hundreds of horses are freed during the course of the yagya.

There is a belief that running horses carry peace, prosperity, and camaraderie wherever the horses reach. Also, people also remark the day as the festive of welcoming Nepali New Year.

Nepal Army will be conducting a Ghode Jatra program in the presence of President Ramchandra Paudel in Tundikhel today. Vice-president, Prime minister, Chief Justice Camus, Chairman of the National Assembly, Ministers, and other Honorable personalities will attend the program.

Directorate of Military Relations and Information informed that various horsemanship-related interesting programs will be conducted to address Ghode Jatra in the Army platform.

Along with horsemanship activities like horse parades, show jumps, horse racing, drill ride, cavalry archery, etc exhibitory activities will be performed in the program.

Army has been celebrating Ghode Jatra by honoring horses having the qualities of faithfulness and the fastest speed in Tundikhel.

A total of 66 horses will participate in the Ghode Jatra. Out of which, 10 will be used in a chariot, 46 will be used in horsemanship and 10 horses will be participating in the horse race.