Bhaktapur begins bamboo sales for Gai Jatra festival's traditional structures

In Bhaktapur, Nepal, the sale of bamboo for the upcoming Gai Jatra festival is underway. Vendors have set up stalls near the Nyatapola Temple, catering to families preparing to build Tahasa, traditional structures carried during the festival.

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Bamboo sales are allowed only until 10 am, as the municipality does not permit the trade to continue during the day.

Bamboo is being sold for approximately Rs 500 per piece. A finished Tahasa, typically constructed from four bamboo poles, can cost between Rs 2,000 and Rs 2,500, depending on its size and the quality of the bamboo used. Jayaram Tamang, a vendor who sources bamboo from Ashapuri, has been a regular seller in this location for years, starting about a week before the festival.

The municipality has specific regulations for the bamboo trade, allowing sales only until 10 am to avoid disruption during the day. The Gai Jatra festival, scheduled for August 29 in Bhaktapur, honors and remembers individuals who passed away in the preceding year. The tradition involves carrying the Tahasa, adorned with a representation of a cow, through the city, with families who have lost a member participating.

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A Tahasa is traditionally made using four bamboo poles, each measuring around 15 to 20 feet.

As the festival approaches, the demand for green bamboo intensifies, reflecting the deep-rooted tradition of making Tahasa in Bhaktapur for generations. Preparations are intensifying across the city's neighborhoods as the festival, observed on the first day of the bright fortnight of Bhadra, draws near.

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Families who have lost a member during the preceding year use Tahasa to take part in Gai Jatra.