Gunhu Punhi & Gai Jatra: Kwati, Frogs & Ancestors

Experience Gunhu Punhi and Gai Jatra in Nepal: taste Kwati, join the Night Heritage Walk, and enjoy a lively parade with music, dance, and satire.

Nepal, the land of diversity, has allowed us to celebrate various festivals every other month throughout the year. The abundance of colorful festivals has granted us more reasons to celebrate and strengthen our sense of social being. After the ropain, Janai Purnima is another important festival in the Nepali calendar immediately followed by Gai jatra. Celebration of Janai Purnima and Gai Jatra in the community allows people to take part in the trails of festivals : honoring nature and deceased relatives. You can partake in Kwaati making which is a special delicacy of the day and honor the deceased relative (Night Heritage Walk in Kirtipur and Matya in Bungamati). And the following day be part of the joyous festival of the valley Gai Jatra which is full of music, dance and parades.

Gunhu Punhi or Kwati Khaney din

While the Janai Purnima is celebrated around the sacred thread and lake in many communities, the Newar community has a distinct sign of the day. The festival is also known as “Gunhu Punhi” or “Kwati Khane Din” among Newar communities and is celebrated in honor of the dish consumed on the day. Food is an essential part of the Newari culture; many dishes are served at festivals and have meaningful symbols. Gunhu Punhi is yet another example of the bond food and festival share in the Newar community.

Kwati is a nourishing delicacy of the day and is believed to be a good source of energy for farmers. Alongside the farmers, the festival is also devoted to the not-so-popular but important ally for farming: frogs. Appreciating their role in agriculture, frogs in the nearby fields are also offered Kwati before it is shared with one another.
Kwaati is made of two words, “kwa” and “ti’, where “kwa” means hot and “ti” means soup. The “hot soup” these days is usually made of nine different beans: Bodi, Raajma, Chana, Bhatmas, Moong, Kerau, Ghiu Simi, Kalo Bhatmaas, Seto Simi. 
However the significance of the day doesn’t finish with just soup eating day but depending on the community the celebration continues with honoring nature and deceased relatives.

Gunhu Punhi in Kirtipur Community 

Gunhu Punhi in Kirtipur Community is celebrated in honor of nature and deceased family members. At this time, especially after finishing the work of Asar, more water is needed for the paddy. The frog that continuously croaks for water is celebrated by offering food (byanja nakegu). To feed the frogs, roti, meat, taro leaves, dal, pickled radish, etc., are cooked and offered in leaves on the main door or windows. After lunch, locals go to the fields to perform “byanja nakegu”. This activity represents the appreciation of farmers for other creatures in nature too. For the next four days, they don’t go to work in the field so the frogs can eat peacefully.

Alongside “byanja nakegu”, locals pay homage to every chaitya in Kirtipur from 6 PM to 1 AM. As a preparation for the homage, people clean their houses and take baths. Between 6 PM and 7 PM, families go around the chaitya in Bahabhi to worship and pay homage to their deceased family members. This homage is believed to allow the dead relatives to be blessed. In modern terms the homage is also known as Night Heritage Walk.

Night Heritage Walk

Hosts will guide the travelers through the Night Heritage Walk and the travelers themselves can participate in the walk.

Celebrating Gunhu Punhi in the Kirtipur community is a whole experience that allows you to get in touch with nature and our ancestors. It is a day full of emotions as you offer to nature and connects with “another world” where the dead rest.

Gai Jatra

Gai Jatra is another joyous festival in Nepali Calendar which falls right after Janai Purnima and is an absolute opportunity to immerse in the trails of festivals. Like any other festivals Gai Jatra has its varied story behind the celebration. But King Pratap can be credited for the modern observation of Gai Jatra. The celebration started as a consolation for the grief-stricken queen of King Pratap to make her understand death is only natural and no one remains untouched with the fate of death. However the celebration has taken a different shape throughout the years. You can expect children or embellished tall bamboo poles disguised as cows and paraded throughout the towns. The parade is commemorated in honor of the deceased relative and includes dance, music, fun and comical satires.

Gai Jatra in Kirtipur Community Homestay

You can expect a unique Gai Jatra celebration in Kirtipur. Kirtipur is known to have the most unique and enjoyable Gai Jatra of Kathmandu Valley; it takes place in Panga, a part of the town. They have a parade, Dey Guthi (humorous politico-economic scenarios), like the other towns, but they add some personal touch, keeping traditions and mixing modernization. The inhabitants celebrate with belief in the legend; they want to accompany their beloved one to the gates of heaven, as it is only on GaiJatra that the door opens. On GaiJatra, it is like two worlds mingling: the  “spiritual world” and the ”living world.” 
The parade is passionately performed; however, they don’t disguise themselves as cows; they wear various costumes of Gods and Goddesses. They don’t only celebrate death but harmony and peace for their family. To highlight even more the idea of harmony, boys dressed up as girls. It is a fun spectacle as everyone walks around Panga in their outfits. Moreover, traditional music and modern music can be heard in the streets, adding a joyful and magical atmosphere, this time mixing two different eras. In addition, there are also dance performances. A dance - Dhe Dhe Pa Pa - is even done by locals to mock Dancha Buddha, a local seen as a betrayer. It is believed that the unification campaign of Prithivi Narayan Shah wouldn’t have taken place if Dancha Buddha hadn’t given valuable insight to the king. And, of course, there is Day Guthi, the moment to speak freely and make people laugh. Those spectacles are filled with laughter and a happy crowd.
GaiJatra is a very lively festival, and celebrating it in Kirtipur will make the experience unique, authentic, and magical. Sharing moments of joy and watching people enjoying its magic, the colors, the outfits, the dances, the performances, the smiles, and the laughs will forever be in your memory.

Why this experience?

This trail of festivals serve a unique chance of immersing in the local culture of honoring nature and deceased relatives.